Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog

Early Acorn Drop – Lessons of Letting Go

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, An entertaining exchange about the probable causes of an abundance of acorns dropping early leads to lessons in letting go, thanks to Chris from Blairstown, NJ, who asked if I ever saw acorns fall this early. “Our trees in the back start
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a brown box turtle walking in grass

Revisiting Turtle Island

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green; I came across two snapping turtles swimming near shore at Catfish Pond in Blairstown, NJ. Turtles have always fascinated me, but more so since my soulful twin brother passed away. Bill felt a strong connection to turtles, marveling over their
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a mother earth face pot with a braided grass headband

Lessons from Braiding Sweetgrass

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, I’ve been listening to Robin Wall Kimmerer, the author of  Braiding Sweetgrass, read her extraordinary book. Her voice brings her lyrical, expressive words to life as beautifully as they are written – singing like the songs of nature. Dr
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a birds eye view of nest of baby robins in an evergreen shrub.

Song Sparrow Meets Robin

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, The routine of a family of Robins nesting in the Doublefile Viburnum outside the kitchen window did not happen this year. Let’s just say aggressive fall pruning done by someone who lives here inhibited the protection of the thick canopy
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a green pencil labeled Blackwing 17 sitting on an African violet with dark purple blooms

Essential Nutrients for Gardens & Life

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, I always felt giving is more glorious than receiving, but I’m not sure now after a gift came with a delightful surprise. While opening the box of green Blackwing pencils Ken Roberts gave me, my dear friend and singing partner for the Kar
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog

A Long Winter’s Nap

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, The Press takes a hiatus between their Christmas and New Year’s editions, and so, my faithful online readers, I thought I’d revisit a story from long ago, A Long Winter’s Nap, when dear Ellie was by our side, with a few tweak
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a blonde woman, Mary Stone, in sunglasses and a denim shirt hugging a three foot wide water oak trunk.

Giving Thanks for Nature’s Gifts

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, I just returned from being with family in Tennessee and Virginia for Thanksgiving, a treasured time. I hope you enjoyed the holiday too. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, which is timeless and universal. We give thanks for the gifts of life
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a field of red poppies

Significance of Veterans Day Poppies

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, It was confusing the day before Veterans Day this year. Folks were off, and schools closed. I thought it was always on November 11. There’s a significance to 11-11, and why poppies are on lapels on Veterans Day and in our garden. So, I d
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Avis Campbell Gardens octagonal pond with a pedestal fountain.

Avis Campbell Gardens Wheel of Life

Hello Fellow Readers, In last week’s story about Ripening Fall Hand-me-Down Tomatoes, I found Ed’s kindhearted lab Dolce feasting on Kousa Dogwood berries, reminding me of a fabulous Kousa adjacent to the Avis Campbell Gardens in Montclair, New Jersey. It was a summertime
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a large yellow sunflower with a honeybee standing in front of a field of sunflowers.

A Sunflower Maze Brings Happiness

Hello, fellow readers, What a joy to visit Liberty Farm’s Sussex County Sunflower Maze in Sandyston, NJ, who invited us for a special day bringing happiness. It’s their 14th year of growing the maze. Raj Sinha started growing sunflowers when the New Jersey Audubon Society
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