Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
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
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Alternatives-to-Roundup-Stone-Associates-Landscape-Design

Ridding of Roundup

Hello Fellow Readers, A few weeks back I dug in with Andrew of Sparta NJ who wished to enhance his gardens in time for hosting pre-prom photos for his daughter. He was expecting sixty with friends and parents. I recall how Jessica came home from school eleven years ago when I first wo
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Pink flowering Rosa-Dr.-Van-Fleet -Climbing-Roses on a stone hose

The Beauty and Beast of Roses

Hello Fellow Readers, Roses can be fussy. But when roses are in their glory, they surely are glorious. Lessons shared in the Beauty and the Beast… One should never judge another based on appearances – a lesson shared in the Beauty and the Beast enjoyed at the Papermill Theatre i
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Daffodil-Braided-foliage

Tidying Daffodil Foliage

Hello Fellow Readers, Planting spring flowering bulbs brings the excitement of the anticipation of their emergence. Showing their little faces as dear Mom used to say, though I have no memory of planting bulbs as her gardening apprentice. Truth is, I’m a bit of a bulb newbie which may
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Palace Purple Coral Bells, Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple'

Doublefile Viburnum Angels

Hello Fellow Readers, I am thrilled to report the robin mentioned last week did indeed nest in the Doublefile Viburnum outside our kitchen window. Perhaps the same robin that nested there last year. Both momma and poppa robin are involved in the homemaking and childrearing, though mom
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Carpenter Bee Damage

Carpenter Bees: Friend & Foe

Hello Fellow Readers, How about all the carpenters buzzing about – eastern carpenter bees, that is. Xylocopa virginica, the most common species, is wreaking havoc on my neighbor’s deck, not because of their yen to eat wood. Rather, they’re nesting. Please don’t hold their carpen
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Lichen on trees, Moss on trees

Liking Lichen & Moss

Hello Fellow Readers, Last week’s column about removing moss from retaining walls (an idea I don’t favor as stark walls softened by mossy volunteers is magnificent) inspired questions about removing moss and lichen from tree trunks. But there’s no reason to remove it
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Moss on Boulders

Removing Moss Madness

Hello Fellow Readers, Last week, I received a text from Chris of Blairstown, “Look what we’re doing today, getting the moss off the retaining wall.” He shared pictures to boot. “Nooooo,” I wrote back with the big-eyed emoji, then added a wink and a smile. To follow is the story about
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Mary Reynolds, Kalmia latifolia

The Love of the Land

Hello Fellow Readers, Saturday night, after a long day exhibiting at a Home & Garden event, I did what I rarely do. I settled down in front of the TV to veg out. Legs elevated on pillows to lessen my foot fatigue, clicker in hand, I stumbled upon a movie based on a true story titl
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Mud Season,

Mud Season to Dos (& Don’ts)

Hello Fellow Readers, It’s the official the start of spring and I don’t feel ready. The ending of this winter, more than most, came much too fast. Partly because I didn’t have my fill of cross-country skiing; not to complain because the times we did have were glorious. It’s more becau
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