Leave room for wandering. What began as a trip to purchase annuals became a treasure hunt filled with unusual vegetables, greenhouse discoveries, practical planting tips, and a reminder that some of life's greatest treasures are found beyond what we originally came looking for.

A weekend at Comfort Zone Camp reveals healing beneath the Mayapple: the wisdom of the magical plant, reflections on loss, kindness, nature, and the courage of brave children healing from a loss of a family member to suicide.

Skunk cabbage may not win any beauty contests (though I feel its beautiful), but this remarkable native wetland plant offers one of nature's earliest signs of spring. From melting snow with its own warmth to feeding emerging pollinators, skunk cabbage reminds us that beauty, resilienc

From the difference between edible rhubarb and ornamental rhubarb, from blooming tea to rhubarb custard pie, Mary Stone reflects on friendship, healing, and the beautiful ways kindness helps us grow through difficult seasons of life.

Sometimes what we see as a problem is merely a message. A visit to a longtime client’s garden reveals lessons in declining plants, thriving moss, and how working with nature—not against it—can lead to something even more beautiful.

A weeping cherry tree begins to "bleed," revealing a deeper story about soil, stress, and what lies beneath—and a reminder from the garden about where we're truly meant to grow.

After a long winter, the garden begins to heal—revealing both damage and resilience. In this reflective post, I share spring pruning tips, plant care insights, and lessons from nature, reminding us to slow down, notice beauty, and find healing in the garden and in life.

As spring unfolds, I reflect on what remains, what falls away, and what—over time—returns to nourish us again. In this post, we explore leaf mold vs. mulch in the garden, along with a simple lesson in letting go inspired by nature’s cycles.

As winter loosens its grip, early spring invites us to tend—clearing what’s too heavy, redistributing what can nourish, and making space for what’s ready to grow.

A roadside walk after winter’s thaw reveals more than litter—it uncovers quiet lessons in tending what doesn’t belong and noticing what begins to bloom. From snowdrops to a snapping turtle, nature reminds us that even after disruption, growth returns.