Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
white pine pine cones on the side of the road next to feet in black sneakers with pine needles

The Secret Life of Pinecones

Hello, fellow readers. We ventured to Blue Mountain Lake, part of the Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area, on Sunday, having not visited since last May when I shared the Flora & Reflections. In winter, evergreens take center stage, and it was fun to see all the young white pines
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A burst of morning sunshine through a forest of trees in fall.

Insights and Interdependence of Trees

Hello fellow readers, We’ve shared the intrigue of two living fossils – Ginkgo biloba and the Umbrella Pine, both living in the days of the dinosaurs and surviving the Ice Age. The magnitude of their endurance is inspiring. And they’ve shared roots beyond the roots of thei
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a woman's hand holding a dark brown aged pawpaw fruit

Planting Pawpaw Seeds

Hello fellow readers, What a treat to gather a biweekly allotment at Genesis Farm in Blairstown, NJ, gifted by a client who’s become a friend. Nancy said her friend Lois would be there volunteering as a greeter if I picked up the provisions before two, which I did, and what a tr
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Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, How to Plant Bulbs, Daffodils

Bulbs to Extend Spring Blooms

Hello fellow readers, It’s an ideal time to plant spring flowering bulbs, so don’t put away the gardening gear just yet. I adore sharing a deer-resistant lineup to extend the bloom, suggested by my friend and design colleague, Marty of Three Seasons, who touts, “You can get three to f
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an elderly woman and middle aged woman walking through an arbor

Boxwood Dilemmas & Garden Delights

Hello fellow readers, What a joy to visit with Connie and Susan of Blairstown, NJ. I met Susan and her husband, Don, while walking Jolee. They are building a home nearby, and Jolee (and I) have grown to adore them. One day we spoke about her mom, who loves to garden. Susan said a few
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a Giant Puffball Mushroom, Calvatia gigantean, also know as Volleyball Mushroom in between a purple sneakers.

Giant Puffball Mushrooms

Hello fellow readers, My neighbor Bill ate his volleyball – a Giant Puffball Mushroom, that is. I have a volleyball, too, that I’ve been monitoring in amazement, but eating it didn’t occur to me. But it turns out they are delicious. Giant Puffball Mushrooms are one o
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A flat topped mushroom amongst moss and a bottlebrush buckeye leaf

Mary Reynolds and Nurturing Nature

Hello fellow readers, After a long day placing plants, I did what I rarely do. I settled down in front of the television to veg out. Legs elevated on pillows to lessen foot fatigue, clicker in hand; I stumbled upon a movie based on a true story titled Dare to be Wild, about Mary Reyno
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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, NJ Garden Coach and Speaker,Mary Elaine Stone, Garden of Life, Claudia West, Plant More Plants, Native Plants, Native Plants, Mimic Natrures Landscape, Natures Inspiration, Wild Garden

Designing Garden Layers

Hello Fellow Readers, “Plant more plants” was music to my ears shared by Claudia West at a NJ Plants tradeshow held in Edison, NJ, a while back. Claudia is the Ecological Sales Representative of North Creek Nurseries, my go-to wholesale propagation nursery in Landenberg, P
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Bright yellow daisy-like flowers of Swamp Sunflower near a lake.

Native Plants for Native Pollinators

Hello fellow readers, About a year ago, I enjoyed a visit to a free public garden managed by the Morris County Park Commission tucked away in Far Hills, NJ, which became a column topic titled Wandering Willowwood Arboretum. Bruce Crawford, formerly the Director of Rutgers Gardens, joi
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a white cotton candy looking nest of fall webworms in a tree against a bright blue sky

Fall Webworm vs. Tent Caterpillars

Hello fellow readers, Have you noticed what looks like cotton candy decorating trees? I thought they were Eastern tent caterpillars, also called tent worms, we see in spring. But it turns out the white webs, often two feet wide, are fall webworms –tent worms’ close cousins. Comp
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