Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
a spray bottle with Weed Killer written on it a red X.

Alternatives to Harmful Weed Killers

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I have a long-standing client who considered using Roundup to tend to the weeds in walkway. Instead, I provided safe alternatives to harmful weed killers. But the best part is sharing life stories. A few years back, I dug in with Andrew of Spa
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a white house with white and pink English Daisies in clover lawn.

Delightful No-Mow Clover Lawns

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Recently, I designed a low-maintenance garden filled with perennials, shrubs, and trees for year-round interest in Bergen County, NJ, not far from New York City. Around it, we planted a pollinator-friendly lawn alternative: a combination of No
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,, Ugly Slug, Slugs in the Garden

Natural Slug Remedies

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Humid and rainy summers provide a perfect setting for slugs, always a top garden dilemma. Thankfully, there are natural slug remedies, though some may be a tad icky. “What are the holes all over my hosta?”  Holy moly, Dave, I’
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a mother earth face pot with a braided grass headband

Lessons from Braiding Sweetgrass

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, I’ve been listening to Robin Wall Kimmerer, the author of  Braiding Sweetgrass, read her extraordinary book. Her voice brings her lyrical, expressive words to life as beautifully as they are written – singing like the songs of nature. Dr
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Cream colored slime mold on mulch

Fixing Funky Fungi in Mulch

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. It’s mulch time, and John from Andover, NJ, asked what kind of mulch to use. First and foremost, stay clear of trunks and stems to prevent disease. That’s my polite way of saying no volcano mulch, please. To avoid mushrooms in the
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a person in a white hazmat suit and black mesh face covering reaching into a trunk of a tree for honeybees.

Relocating Honeybees – Being Kind

Hello, fellow lover of all things green, While walking Jolee this morning, I admired crocuses on the side of the road. A white one sits solo with purple lines on the petals, almost like runways, leading pollinators to the yellow puffy pollen. I stood above it, watching the dance of tw
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Close-up of winter berries in snow

Berries for Winter Beauty and Wildlife

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, One of my joys is meeting and working with others who relish our dear earth’s gifts, often leading to sharing life stories. There’s something about being in a garden and amongst nature that releases the tension of day-to-day living
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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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view of a lake in the fall wiht assorted gold brown and orange leaves

Inconsistency over Pond vs. Lake

Hello, fellow readers, It never occurred to me that there is an inconsistency of what defines a pond versus a lake; if I may share a walk in the woods, that leads to the curious question. After our weekly volunteer sing at the Karen Ann Quinlan Home for Hospice on Friday, I enjoyed a
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a dark grey quarter-sized baby snapping turtle in a stream next to native aster blooms

Saving Snapping Turtles Lifts Spirits

Hello, fellow readers, Saving snapping turtles lifts spirits. While walking Jolee, I saw a baby snapping turtle on the side of the road and a momma snapper a week later. I hope you enjoy the story. I walked a quarter of a mile with the quarter-sized baby snapper to a feeder stream, mu
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