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, colony collapse disorder

Protecting Pollinators – How can it Bee?

Hello fellow readers, They say one out of every three bites of food depends on a pollinator. According to the Pollinator Partnership, the largest non-profit organization in the world dedicated to the protection of pollinators, the U.S. has lost over 50 percent of its managed honeybee
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a closeup of single ant on grass

Willows Gone Wild Part 2

Hello fellow readers, Last week we heard from Craig of Frelinghuysen about his Willows Gone Wild next to his pool. ‘They’re beautiful trees but cause countless hours of cleanup,’ explained Craig, who went on to rant about each stage of his dirty dilemma, giving us all a good laugh. Th
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the sun below a cloud in a golden yellow sky

The How-to of Soil Solarization

Hello fellow readers, Last week, we spoke about George’s weedy invasion resulting in the need for a garden do-over. Thankfully, he opted for a more organic approach, including a non-chemical remedy called soil solarization. Here’s how. Preparing your garden for planting is
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Landscape Fabric

A Landscape Fabric Intervention!

Hello fellow readers, Landscape fabric with mulch on top may seem to work in the short term, but eventually, it will result in an intervention. I look forward to sharing mine :^) ‘Here’s my dilemma,’ wrote George of Blairstown, NJ, in early spring. ‘It’s
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a pink flowering weeping cherry tree with reverted white flowering straight branches

Mixed-up Cherry

Hello fellow readers, Marcia from Columbia writes, ‘our pink ornamental cherry tree is trans gendering, crossdressing, or something. There are two large boughs with pure white blossoms. What the heck?’ The picture she sent the tree looks like it has a spikey haircut with lots of produ
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two hands holding soil preparing for testing soil pH

Fun Ways to Test Soil pH

Hello fellow readers, Last week, we spoke about the importance of testing your soil’s pH before adding supplements, as lawns and plants require different pH levels. John from Bangor asked how to test his soil. Sure, you can buy a pH test probe, and the tried and true soil tests are of
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone, Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design

Lime or Not to Lime Lawns

Hello fellow readers, To lime or not to lime lawns, that was the question from Craig of Andover, NJ. His brother, Chris of Blairstown, then asked if there was a moss killer he could use. True, there seems to be a routine among perfect lawn enthusiasts to lime every spring and fall wit
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone, Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design

Bare-Root Apple Trees

Hello fellow readers, Rebecca of Andover, NJ, received a dormant, bare-root apple tree via mail order and wondered the best way to take care of it until she plants it. What a wonderful gift! They are doing a backyard renovation and plan to include apple trees in the mix. Apple trees s
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Rhubarb Edible vs. Ornamental

Edible rhubarb can be attractive in a garden, but it's the ornamental, not-edible kind that makes a dramatic, almost prehistoric-looking focal point in your garden. Find out about some of the favs.
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone, Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design,deer resistant plants

Springfest Lecture : Deer Resistant Plants

Hello fellow readers, There was standing room only for our talk on Deer Resistant Plants You May Not Know About at the Springfest Garden Show. Thanks to all of you for being there. It was a joy meet you! We started our presentation with a rant of antics we do to keep deer at bay. Like
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