Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer,Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa', Curly Willow

Rooting and Planting Willow Branches

Hello fellow readers, Gloria from Columbia, NJ, wrote in part two of an inquiry she made back in September about rooting a branch from a “curly willow bush” used as part of her daughter’s wedding centerpieces in 2008. She wishes to start a baby willow to give to her
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White barked birch with black markings that look like a smile.

The Beauty of Now

Hello fellow readers, It occurs to me when we are young, entering adulthood, we are in a stage of growing and gathering. Typically choosing a partner, thereby adding an extended family. Pursuing a career, nesting in a home, maybe having children. When young, we tend to look forward ra
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a Giant Puffball Mushroom, Calvatia gigantean, also know as Volleyball Mushroom in between a purple sneakers.

Volleyball Mushrooms

Hello Fellow Readers, Last week I mentioned that my neighbor Bill ate his volleyball – a Giant Puffball Mushroom, that is, Calvatia gigantean. I have a volleyball, too, that I’ve been monitoring in amazement, but it didn’t occur to me to eat it! I’ve always admired folks that kn
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog, Fairy Rings,Scotch bonnet , Edible Mushrooms, Mushrooms

Fairy Rings

Hello fellow readers, Have you ever heard of fairy rings? Neither have I until now. I always enjoy questions from Craig of Frelinghuysen, New Jersey. Without exception, his garden dilemmas always bring a chuckle. Remember his willows gone wild with the icky sticky slime? This time, he
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog, Preserving Herbs, Freezing Herbs, Drying Herbs

Saving Herbs

Hello fellow readers, It’s fun to grow herbs and enjoy them all summer long. But I’ll admit, I still dive into my stash of dry herbs even though there’s fresh ones out in the garden. Lazy Mary? Maybe. But a big part if it is, I’m used to cooking with dry herbs. Bill from Stone Church
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Hardy Mums, Fall Dividing Perennials

The Fall Divide

Hello fellow readers, Last week we spoke about how fall is a great time for planting most trees and shrubs. What about perennials asked Dorothy of Bangor? By and large I prefer spring for planting most new perennials. But if you can’t resist a bargain, fall can work just fine. In fact
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog, Fall Dig Hazard Trees, Fall Planting

Fall Dig Hazard Trees

Hello, fellow readers. Jill from Nazareth is confused. She heard that fall is a great time to plant but then found out that there is a list of Fall Dig Hazard trees. That does seem confusing! Paul of Gardens of the World in Andover has a simple way to explain it. The Fall Dig Hazard l
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How to Rejuvenate Prune Rhododendron

Hello fellow readers, “They’re long and leggy,” wrote Melanie of Newton, NJ. She and her husband acquired a lake-side fixer-upper built over a half-century ago. The rhododendrons have grown taller than the house, and branches are resting on the roof. Fortunately, you
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog, Queen Anne's Lace,Daucus carota, Wild Carrot

Queen Anne’s Lace Anomaly

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, While on a road walk with Miss Ellie, I saw a pinkish Queen Anne’s Lace flower with dark magenta edges on a plant where all the other flowers were the customary cream. What a gorgeous anomaly! It reminded me of grade school when we’
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog, Sweat Pea, Lathyrus latifolius , Perennial Sweat Pea

Hello Sweet Pea

Hello Fellow readers, I met with Melanie of Newton who asked if the perennial sweet peas covering her pool fence are edible. They sure look so; dead ringers to peas in your veggie garden. Some say you can as long as you don’t eat too many of them. Turns out it’s the flowers not the se
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