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

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
Read More
a pile of whilte six-foot long tubes along the Paulinskill Rail Trail

Preservation of the Paulinskill River

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Over the weekend, we stumbled upon a stack of plastic tubing while walking the Paulinskill Rail Trail. I was delighted to see the tubes, as the trees they were protecting looked like they had outgrown them. This inspired revisiting when I firs
Read More
red rose shrub in front of golden dry grasses along Virginia Beach

Thanksgiving Gardens along Virginia Beach

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. As I write, I am overlooking the ocean, enjoying a respite before heading to my sister’s home near Richmond. It’s a treat to spend cherished time with family on Thanksgiving, and I hope you will, too. To my delight, the Thanksgivin
Read More
a collection of a late season harvest of ten, six-inch zucchinis and six green peppers on a countertop.

An Honorable Harvest

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Our warm weather anomaly quickly turned into the first hard frost, inspiring the last of the fall harvest. An honorable harvest. A grateful harvest of the gifts from the garden of life. Having had only one zucchini this growing season, despite
Read More
a brown Carolina mantis on a stem.

Praying Mantises Beneficial or Bad

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Lora asked how to determine whether the praying mantis egg sac in her yard was native or non-native. She’s concerned because she raises monarch and painted lady butterflies and a few toads she wishes to protect. The comment came after I
Read More
a fig tree next to a house with a yellow sign offering free figs. But don't be a fig pig.

Don’t be a Fig Pig – Give a Fig

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. It’s a joy to walk the streets of Victorian architecture in Cape May, located at the very tip of New Jersey. It has attracted vacationers since the mid-18th century, designating Cape May as the country’s oldest seaside resort. Glor
Read More
Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Green and White Gardens, Gardens Glow, Oak leaf Hydrangea, Bottle brush buckeye, Horse Chestnut, Variegated ornamental grass

White Flowers in Gardens Glow

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. If I may revisit a remarkable garden design story from a handful of years ago for Morristown Airport and lessons learned from how white flowers in gardens glow. Our not good enough button Do you recall waiting until the last minute to finish y
Read More
A rabbit in a lawn facing side ways

Koleen’s Dagnabbit Rabbit Dilemma

Hello lovers of all things green, You may remember the treat of learning about John Cabot Roses through my writer friend Koleen Garland who lives in Canada. Well, Koleen recently sent a saga about her dagnabbit rabbit dilemma sure to delight. Koleen’s story: I like to garden wit
Read More
a closeup of a flopping limelight hydrangea

Fixing Flopping Limelight Hydrangeas

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. In the spirit of our recent chats about hydrangeas and a heartfelt anniversary, I’d like to revisit a story about flopping Limelight Hydrangeas and introduce you to a newer variety that solves the bowing blossoms of Limelights. Lorraine
Read More
a course green leafed Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea with pinkish flowers spotted with freckles.

Oakleaf Hydrangea for All Seasons

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Bonnie of Stillwater, NJ, has a Burning Bush planted by her parents, who once lived in the home. She is attached to it and continues to prune it to keep it from rising above her bay window, which may help prevent its invasiveness. But I sugges
Read More