Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
closeup of a black and white dog with a nametag Jolee

Three Sisters Gardening & Jolee’s Emergency

Hello fellow readers, I intended this week’s topic to be about Three Sisters Gardening—companion plants in your vegetable gardens stemming from Native Americans. They combined corn, pole beans, and squash, creating an ecosystem for sustainable gardening. Rather than planting in
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a leafless three foot wide trunk of an old black walnut tree ina late winter lawn

Fruits and Veggies near Black Walnut

Hello fellow readers, Last week, I had the privilege of visiting with Elisabeth, who moved back to Blairstown from Chicago to be near her family. She purchased a farm built in the 1800s and is amid renovating and restoring the house and barn. Elisabeth wishes for a landscape design fi
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a closeup of a peeper on foliage

Planting Following Nature

Hello fellow readers, Have you ever heard when the peepers are peeping, it’s time to plant peas? Or when dandelions bloom, it’s a cue to dig in potatoes? It’s called phenology –observing animal migrations and when certain insects, amphibians, and hibernating animals
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snowy farm field with lambs in a light snow

March Folklore of Hope

Hello fellow readers, This morning, Curt recited the familiar folklore that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Then I reversed it as my mom always did.”In like a lamb out like a lion.” He had never heard it that way. In like a lion out like a lamb Upon researc
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Kearny Community Garden with straw bales lined up in a row,

Vegetable Gardening Basics

Hello, fellow readers, Thanks to Anita from Blairstown, NJ, who sent me an alert; I sat in on an informative talk about Vegetable Gardening Basics. Kelly Durkin, Manager of Catherine Dickson Hofman Branch of Warren County Library, looking springy in a lovely floral dress, introduced L
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Wade, Grant, and Blaire around the kitchen table making dog treats.

Helping Rivers Edge Horse Rescue

Hello fellow readers, Sometimes, when you hear a story of kindness, it needs to be shared, especially when it involves children helping an organization in dire need of funds. Wade, Blaire, and Grant, of Stillwater, NJ, took it upon themselves to fundraise for Rivers Edge Horse Rescue
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the hands of a woman working on a tray of seedlings

Plant Grow Lights 101

Hello Fellow Readers, A few weeks ago, I heard from my high school sweetheart, who remains a lifelong friend. Rusty writes, “Sara is starting her hot pepper plants from seed this year. Is there effective plant grow lights that we should get? Many thanks.” I sent a long-ago
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a black and white dog in a snowbank with a tennis ball in shadow

History of Groundhog Day

Hello fellow readers, As I write, the snow is falling and is likely to continue well into Groundhog Day. They say if the groundhog sees his shadow, they’ll be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, it will be an early spring. With all this snow, it may be six weeks before we see the
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a stack of ashwood logns invested with EAB

Help Control Emerald Ash Borer Spread

Hello fellow readers, Last week’s chat about the end of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) quarantine brought quite a buzz. Though authorities will no longer restrict ash wood movement, we can help control Emerald Ash Borer spread by doing our part. Which brings the question of Robert
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a large patch of bark fallen from an ash tree

Emerald Ash Borer a Lost Cause?

Hello fellow readers, Upon investigating the culprit of a tree largely de-barked, I learned the US Department of Animal and Plant Health Inspection recently dropped the quarantine laws to prevent the further spread of Emerald Ash Borer. Could it be that EAB is a lost cause? After the
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