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,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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a tree trunk in a snow woods with holes made by a Pileated Woodpecker

Mischievous Pileated Woodpecker

Hello fellow readers, How much wood can a woodpecker peck when a woodpecker can peck wood? The answer is – lots! It’s true, the jingle is usually about a woodchuck, but it was the first thing that came to mind when I heard from Barbara of Sparta, NJ, who has a mischievous
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Indoor Plant Care, Garden Dilemmas Ask Mary Stone, Stone Associates, Landscape Design, New Jersey Landscape Designer , Garden Blog, Garden Tips

Indoor Plant Intervention

Hello fellow readers, This time of year my indoor plants start to show signs of distress. Which, frankly, may have to do with over doting; that’s my gardening term for overwatering and maybe overfeeding. Because of the dry heat indoors, watering your indoor plants can be tricky. It’s
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Hickory Tussock caterpillars , Lophocampa caryae, Garden Dilemmas Ask Mary Stone, Garden Tips

Cute Creepy Crawlers

Hello Fellow Readers, Seems we’re crowded with cute creepy crawlers, caterpillars that is. I have an affinity for the woollybear caterpillars because of the folklore about winter predictions; the wider the brown middle band, the milder the winter, so it is said. In fact I love photogr
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Garden Dilemmas Ask Mary Stone Gardening Tips, Garden Tips, Ripening Green Tomatoes, Ripening Tomatoes

Avoid Tomato Carnage-Ripen Indoors!

Hello fellow readers, On August 7th, I proudly announced Happy First Tomato! Excited chipmunks didn’t get the first bite, the fate of all my tomato attempts in years past. I displayed my single bounty for a few days on the windowsill before I indulged in its fantastic flavor (pl
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Microstegium vimineum / Japanese Stilt Grass, Garden Dilemmas Ask Mary Stone

Japanese Stilt Grass & Thistle Remedies

Hello fellow readers, Last week we spoke about annoying crabgrass and how to keep it at bay. Unfortunately, there’s more to be crabby about, writes Carol from Blairstown, NJ, who sent a picture of what looks like mini-bamboo, which she’s trying to wipe out to allow her pac
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a green and rust colored Japanese Beetle on a green leaf

A Jiffy Jar of Japanese Beetles

Hello fellow readers, I saw the first of the season, as did Tom of Mt. Bethel, who asked if he should hang the Japanese beetle traps you find at the hardware store. The subject opens up a can of worms, or should I say grubs? Studies have shown that these pheromone lures attract many m
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Beaver or Woodchuck?

Hello fellow readers, Is it a beaver or woodchuck eating Lucia’s trees? You’ll enjoy the story :^) “Help! A woodchuck is eating my trees,” writes Lucia, “and he’s moved in right near my front door where there’s a deep hole about a foot in diameter.
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Finding Neem Oil

Hello fellow readers, I think you’ll enjoy this little ditty of home remedies to garden dilemmas that reintroduced me to Neem Oil – the old tried and true I call my “duct tape” for the garden. Home Remedies Last week we spoke about aphids and a remedy using dis
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Aphids on Roses

Hello fellow readers, Michele of Sparta asked how to keep aphids off her newly adopted Knock Out Rose. Her other had been devastated by aphids last year and predicted Knock Out #2 would be impacted. Aphids are small sap-sucking insects destructive to plants that overwinter as eggs and
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