Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
beige moth with a black cross on its back called a Clymene moth

A Magical Blessing Moth

Hello fellow readers; I just returned from Lago Vista, Texas, to be by the side of Gene, a dear friend, as he graduated from this earth. He is the life partner of Elsa, whom we’ve spoken about in a previous story titled, Fall is not Goodbye (link below). They’ve been famil
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a black and white dog sniffing a cluster of feathers from a red-shouldered hawk on the road

Great-Horned Owl meets Hawk

Hello fellow readers, Recently, while on the porch, I heard a plop in the pond and looked over to find the Red-shouldered Hawk flying out of it frog-less. He perched himself on the rail of our covered footbridge, looking quite regal –  maybe he is she. I’ve learned they ma
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog, Seal Pup comes ashore in NJ

A Seal Pup Surprise

Hello Fellow Readers, Thanks to those that reached back about last week’s chat – Let Fawns & Wildlife Be. It’s a delight to hear how many of us relish the beauty of young life unfolding. Interactions with wildlife can undoubtedly bring tears to our eyes at the wo
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a sunset in a winter snow at the Karen Ann Quinlan Home for Hospice

Winter Season of Growth

Hello fellow readers, Earlier in the Fall, I attended a luncheon for the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice volunteers. I sat with my singing buddy Ken Roberts and met Suzanne, a fellow volunteer. We chatted about the glorious sunny fall day. “Winter is coming.” “I love winte
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the foliage of an avocado tree loaded with flower buds

A Magical Avocado Tree

Hello fellow readers, My “big kid” project is dragging on, but I haven’t given up hope. You may recall the column inspired by Cheryl of Blairstown, who I met while walking Jolee. She started avocado seeds in water as a science experiment to encourage her daycare cent
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an elongated center of a mauve coneflower with fasciation

Fascinating Anomaly of Fasciation

Hello fellow readers. I enjoy being stumped by mysterious and sometimes magnificent garden dilemmas. Dorrie of Lebanon, CT, found my previous column about Deformed Flowers on Black-eyed Susan. The culprit— insects and a pathogen named Aster Yellows Disease (link below). But I had neve
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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 mysterious unaddressed Christmas Card opened up on a wooden table with a red cardinal decoration

Mysterious Christmas Card

Hello fellow readers, May I share a story of the mysterious Christmas card that landed in our mailbox with messages addressed to all. The unaddressed envelope has a lovely illustration of a male and female cardinal. Red cardinals, the males, are often featured in Christmas decorations
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Black and white photo of a smiling golden retriever in front of a boulder

Unexpected Furry Messenger

Hello Fellow Readers, As you know, Miss Ellie Mae is the mascot for our column since we began our weekly chats over eight years ago. With a heavy heart, I share the news that we helped her go home on Tuesday. She arrived unexpectedly eleven years ago during a tough time of transition.
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Coffee Grounds in the Garden, Smiling Cup of Joe

Smiling Cup of Joe

Hello Fellow Readers, I had a good laugh when I heard from my youngest brother, who lives in Tennessee. Rick texted a photo of his cup of joe with a frothy smiley face smack dab in the middle. “Look at my message this morning in my coffee.” His suspicious sister writes back, “Come on.
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