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,, Ugly Slug, Slugs in the Garden

Natural Slug Remedies

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Humid and rainy summers provide a perfect setting for slugs, always a top garden dilemma. Thankfully, there are natural slug remedies, though some may be a tad icky. “What are the holes all over my hosta?”  Holy moly, Dave, I’
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a white stucco house with a boxwood hedge and pink knockout roses and white climbing roses.

Holy Moly Rose Remedies

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I am recovering from a respiratory infection that snuck up on me, much like plant diseases can. Gratefully, I’m on the mend, as are two unsightly rose dilemmas calling for holy moly rose remedies (smile). We’ve chatted about the pl
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an open bag of Twin Oaks Pine Bark Nuggets

Carpenter Ants and Termites in Mulch

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Today’s topic hits close to home. Sandy from Sparta, NJ, wrote, “Brian bought pine bark nuggets to mulch the garden, and there are tons of huge black ants and some termites in it. What do I do?” The close-to-home part is that
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Leaves impacted with Beech Leaf Disease showing dark bands.

Worrisome Beech Leaf Disease

Hello, fellow readers. Leaves are well on their way in their fall shift, but many have dropped dry, never changing color. Likely due to the spring draught followed by our wet summer. Tired leaves fall early. At the same time, many are still green, giving us hope for glorious fall colo
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a single black ant on a bright green leaf with morning dew.

Admiration for Ants & Safe Remedies

Hello fellow readers, I have a newfound admiration for ants and how they benefit our gardens and work as a team which may contradict treatments to solve ant dilemmas shared over the years (links below). But there are safe remedies and ways to invite them to live away from your home an
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A female deer staring at the camera amongst brush and outcroppings

Non-Stinky Deer Deterrents

Hello fellow readers, I woke this morning to my adored sunflowers grown from seed in the garden pots chomped by Bambi, as were the ‘Palace Purple’ Heuchera (Coral Bells). Unlike years past, I didn’t lose my cool – a good thing in the recent heat wave. “No point
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Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa virginica

Carpenter Bees are Essential Pollinators

Hello fellow Readers, Spring is a busy time for folks in the horticultural industry – Spring Madness Mode, I call it, and it’s hard to keep up. It’s also a busy time for wildlife. Birds are flitting about to find their best spots. It’s fun to anticipate new baby bird
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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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pink and red roses in the middle of a hedge of boxwood in front of a park bench

Beauty and Beast of Roses

Hello fellow readers, After meeting Stephen Scannilello and purchasing his book A Year of Roses, my love-hate relationship with the beauty and beast of roses turned to respect. As you may guess, the fairytale Beauty and the Beast has something to do with it. I hope you enjoy the story
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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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