Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
a huge white ash tree with three young adults standing in front of the trunk.

The Wolfe Tree- A Grand Ash

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Last week, we discussed how disease and insects are impacting stands of trees. Among them, the emerald ash borer has devastated native ash trees, which comprise roughly ten percent of the forests here in Northern New Jersey. Some specimen tree
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Benefits and Folklore of Dragonflies

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Dragonflies are fascinating creatures with an unusual lifecycle and folklore to match. Plus, they benefit our gardens by controlling pests—a perfect unfolding. A few weeks ago, I shared a story about the Preservation of the Paulinskill River a
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Looking up at the shaggy bark of a shagbark hickory trunk.

Shagbark Hickories – Nutty Mast Years

Hello, Fellow Readers, These are nutty times. Far nuttier than usual in my neck of the woods. The Shagbark Hickory nuts are overabundant and golf ball and size, so much so that walking amongst them is risky for ankle stability. It’s called masting when there’s an excess of
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a lake surrounded by evergreen trees and deciduous trees in their orange and gold fall colors.

Why Some Trees Remain Evergreen

Hello, fellow readers, I always enjoy hiking along the Appalachian Trail with a longtime friend from Boonton, NJ. While meandering the rocky terrain peppered with hemlock and Spruce, Barbara asked why some trees remain evergreen and others don’t. Good question. Let’s ask t
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Dennis Briede in a ball cap standing in his meadow of colorful plants with a mountain ridge behind him.

Antics of Meadow Wildlife

Hello fellow readers, Over the almost eleven years of our column chats, I’ve often accessed the wisdom of Dennis Briede from Blairstown, NJ, who I refer to as my birder buddy, although he’s knowledgeable (I’d say expert, but he never boasts) on plants and wildlife an
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A yellow golden retriever with snow on her nose walking along a frozen brook

Wisdom in the Rhythm of Water

Hello, fellow readers, There is wisdom in the rhythm of the water. Water is everywhere, including as vapor in our atmosphere and the cells of all living things. During a deep freeze like the one we recently enjoyed, some say endured, ice crystals decorated our storm windows like etchi
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a Giant Puffball Mushroom, Calvatia gigantean, also know as Volleyball Mushroom in between a purple sneakers.

Giant Puffball Mushrooms

Hello fellow readers, My neighbor Bill ate his volleyball – a Giant Puffball Mushroom, that is. I have a volleyball, too, that I’ve been monitoring in amazement, but eating it didn’t occur to me. But it turns out they are delicious. Giant Puffball Mushrooms are one o
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two yellow flowering sunflower heads

Delights in my Dry Summer Garden

Hello fellow readers, As I write, it is Labor Day, a day of rest for many, and thankfully soft rain has begun. Countless plants in our gardens and trees and shrubs are tired from the dry summer we endured. But there is magnificence too. This morning I invite you to walk with me to fin
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A white-stemmed birch tree amongst pink flowering mountain laurel with a golden retriever along a grassy path.

Birch Tree’s Strength in Flexibility

Hello fellow readers, When you think about it, the most resilient things in nature are soft and pliable, like blades of grass that bounce back after being trampled. And trees that sway with the wind, enduring severe storms, heavy snow, or ice. Birch trees, one of my favs, have a reput
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A rock with moss in the shape of a hippo.

Magnificent Moss

Magnificent moss serves as a carefree lawn alternative, is ideal for green roofs, and creates art in the garden and amongst nature. Learn about this ancient plant and other delights to be found in the dreariness of winter.
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