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Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
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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woman in a maroon sweatshirt pointing to a table of starter plants with grow lights

Green with Envy Seed Starting Tips

Hello Fellow Readers, I learned from Patti of Little Big Farm in Blairstown that she started seeds in early February, which piqued my curiosity; actually, it made me green with envy. Aren’t we all longing for green? The rule of thumb is eight weeks before the last frost date is
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lunar gardening with a full moon in a cloudy night sky

Planting by the Moon

Hello fellow readers, Did you notice the full moon lighting up our nighttime snow-scape last week? No flashlights are needed. It made me think of planting by the moon’s phases, a practice as old as agriculture. True, it’s primarily based on legend, but there are scientific concepts to
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Mary Stone, Garden dilemmas Ask Mary Stone, Gardening Tips, Garden Blog

Blank Wall Dilemma

Hello fellow readers, Kelly from Forks Township shared that she stares at a blank wall.  It’s their detached garage which sits directly behind the house and is covered with asbestos siding.  Having small children, she’d like to protect the wall from damage ‘by sports balls and the lik
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a seed catalog opened to assorted colors of peppers on a wooden table.

Favorite Seed Catalogs

Hello, fellow readers, It’s been fun hearing about your favorite seed catalogs. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is one of my favorites, too. And what a history of the American Dream! At age 3, owner Jere Gettle began growing plants, and in 1998, at 17, he printed his first catalog. S
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