Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
a closeup of a taupe colored American toad below a maroon leafed plant

Attracting Toads to your Garden

Hello fellow readers, Indeed, toads and frogs are beneficial garden guests, each eating a hundred or more insects or slugs every day. And while not all of us have ponds nearby, attracting toads to your garden is doable and fun. But first, may I share a story… While recording a G
Read More
A man in blue jeans and blue shirt gardening with a black and white dog.

Gardening with Dogs

Hello fellow readers,  We planted Ellie’s memorial tree over the weekend, a ‘Baby Blue Eyes’ Blue Spruce that served as our Christmas tree. It was a heartfelt moment as Jolee stood nearby watching. And, she helped dig a few holes in the yard too. Yup, we have a digge
Read More
young woman and man with dog in sunflower field

Pet Friendly Plants

Hello Fellow Readers, Samantha wrote on Facebook, “Hi friends! Isaac and I want plants for our patio but are having trouble deciding what to get. What are your favorite pet-friendly potted plants?” How fun to find out my nephew and his better half, in Knoxville, Tennessee,
Read More
a no mow may lawn filled with white clover with puffy white blooms

Clover Lawn Alternative

Hello Fellow Readers, I stumbled upon the most beautiful field of clover leading to glorious reasons while white clover makes a magnificent lawn alternative. Pollinators were scurrying from one dainty puff to another, busily gathering nectar and pollen. Their hairy legs were combing t
Read More
Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, NJ Garden Coach and Speaker

Dogs and Deer

Hello Fellow Readers, I’m delighted to help Pam and Ed of Sparta NJ create a useful backyard for their rescue canine kids to run. It surely was a dilemma as the grade change from their side gate to the flatter back forty compares to a ski slope. Walking the area was difficult for two-
Read More
Looking up at the shaggy bark of a shagbark hickory trunk.

Juglone Companion Plants

Hello fellow readers, One of the native trees that grace my yard is a shagbark hickory (Carya ovata). Its common name speaks for itself, with shaggy bark that stands out like a sculpture. But a treasure to some can be a nuisance to others. It’s true; the first time a golf ball-sized n
Read More
a white nest of Eastern Tent Caterpillars in the crotch of a tree.

Diehard Campers -Tent Caterpillars

Hello fellow readers, It’s the unofficial start to summer which brings on outdoor activities and vacations including tent camping for diehards. Ben from Bangor asked what to do about the wormy things building tents in the crevices of his cherry tree right above his grill. Easter
Read More
Goats as pets, Mary Stone of Garden Dilemmas, garden blog, gardening blog

Goat Get ‘Em

Hello fellow readers, I had the privilege of meeting with Josh of Stillwater, who adopted Skippy and Jay Jay in March at five weeks old, weighing 15 pounds each. His “Kids,” the actual name for baby goats, are Toggenburg goats named after the Toggenburg valley in Switzerla
Read More
Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Gardening wiht Dogs, Overseeding Lawns

Overseeding Lawns

Hello Fellow Readers, Remember Ed from Basking Ridge who wrote in about his digger dog?  It seems Dulcie also loves a good game of fetch and Ed wonders how to create a lawn to stand up to speedy turns. His current lawn rolls up, has little root structure and is mostly crabgrass and cl
Read More
Fashion faux pas: Black socks with white sneakers

Landscape faux pas & Cocoa Mulch

Hello Fellow Readers, I am grateful to all that came to the Springfest Garden Show and attended my lecture, along with Marty Carson of Three Seasons, on the Dos and Don’ts of Landscape & Garden Design. It was a lighthearted spin comparing garden don’ts to fashion blunders. To foll
Read More