Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
Jane Goodall speaking from a podium with a stuffed cow and gorilla.

Growing Hope-The Book of Hope

Hello fellow readers, What a treat to hunker down to The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams with Gail Hudson borrowed from the library. The subtitle— A Survival Guide for Trying Times. I don’t know about you, but merely surviving seems sad. I like to think of it as
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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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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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a snow scene with a bird house and hemlocks covered with snow

Inventorying Gardens and our Lives

Hello fellow readers, Life cycles are much like the cycles of nature and the seasons, and while our plants are dormant is a perfect time for inventorying gardens and our lives. Looking forward. Then, looking back.  It occurs to me when we are young, entering adulthood, we are in a sta
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the sun peering through a forest in the fall

Coretta Scott King Forest

Hello fellow readers, As I sit to write you, it’s Martin Luther King’s Day honoring a great man. In preparation, I dug through the internet maze to learn more about the advocate of equality, looking for a connection to gardens or nature to share with you today. And there i
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a dark purple blooming clematis climbing on an obelisk

Plants Inspire-Turning Over a New Leaf

Hello fellow readers,  A New Year, just as birthdays, gifts the opportunity to start fresh—maybe to begin new things or improve upon others. A chance for turning over a new leaf, as they say. One new leaf I’d like to turn over is sharing more of how plants inspire our lives. Let
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a grouping of tree stumps with smiling faces drawn in snow

Happy New Year of Growth

Hello Fellow Readers, The Press publishes a New Year’s pictorial issue to provide their staff time off between Christmas and New Year’s. I enjoy the deadline respite, too, but I wish to reach out to my faithful online readers and followers to thank you for sharing a bit of
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a white dog with black ears playing with a tennis ball in snow

Merry Season of Love over Fear

Hello fellow readers, For the first time in a long time, I wrote a Christmas letter to send with greeting cards to friends from far away, sharing the joy coming from the arrival of our rescue dog Jolee. And the inspiration she gave us as we witnessed her maneuver through the fear and
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a man with a black and white dog overlooking the beaver moon moonrise along a beach is a pastel dusk sky

Beaver Moon Moonrise

Hello Fellow Readers, We rose for the sunrises while visiting Virginia Beach, but the biggest delight of all was the moonrise, having never seen one along the ocean. The Beaver Moon moonrise on November 19th was extraordinary, starting as an orange glow on the horizon before climbing
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red rose shrub in front of golden dry grasses along Virginia Beach

Gardens along Virginia Beach

Hello Fellow Readers, As we speak, I’m overlooking the gardens along Virginia Beach. Three years ago, our last time here was with Miss Ellie in tow, how she loved it here. It’s heartwarming to see Jolee put her paws in the sand for the first time. Along the shoreline is a
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