Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
a pile of whilte six-foot long tubes along the Paulinskill Rail Trail

Preservation of the Paulinskill River

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Over the weekend, we stumbled upon a stack of plastic tubing while walking the Paulinskill Rail Trail. I was delighted to see the tubes, as the trees they were protecting looked like they had outgrown them. This inspired revisiting when I firs
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red rose shrub in front of golden dry grasses along Virginia Beach

Thanksgiving Gardens along Virginia Beach

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. As I write, I am overlooking the ocean, enjoying a respite before heading to my sister’s home near Richmond. It’s a treat to spend cherished time with family on Thanksgiving, and I hope you will, too. To my delight, the Thanksgivin
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the silvery underside of a Silver maple Leaf

Silver Maple, a Native American Treasure

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Silver Maple, once a Native American treasure, has lost favor in the horticultural industry. Still, I adore its history and marvel over how Mother Nature matched one treasure with another to make a revered tree that is now a trade staple. Silv
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Marigolds-Races-Farm-Blairstown-NJ

The Magnificent Legend of Marigolds

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Last week, I shared A Butterfly Garden of Growth and added suggestions for annual lovelies to enhance the environment and provide food for our beloved butterflies. Marigolds are one of them, a plant I once was weary of. Learning the magnificen
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Heart-shaped leaf with droplets of dew

Remember Learn Grow and Love

Hello, fellow lover of all things green, As you may know there’s a podcast version of our weekly chats from the screen porch. Last week, I recorded the episode on 9-11 (link below). The sky was bright blue and the air crisp— much like that day our world changed. The anniversary
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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, Green and White Gardens, Gardens Glow, Oak leaf Hydrangea, Bottle brush buckeye, Horse Chestnut, Variegated ornamental grass

White Flowers in Gardens Glow

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. If I may revisit a remarkable garden design story from a handful of years ago for Morristown Airport and lessons learned from how white flowers in gardens glow. Our not good enough button Do you recall waiting until the last minute to finish y
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a closeup of a flopping limelight hydrangea

Fixing Flopping Limelight Hydrangeas

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. In the spirit of our recent chats about hydrangeas and a heartfelt anniversary, I’d like to revisit a story about flopping Limelight Hydrangeas and introduce you to a newer variety that solves the bowing blossoms of Limelights. Lorraine
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a course green leafed Munchkin Oakleaf Hydrangea with pinkish flowers spotted with freckles.

Oakleaf Hydrangea for All Seasons

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Bonnie of Stillwater, NJ, has a Burning Bush planted by her parents, who once lived in the home. She is attached to it and continues to prune it to keep it from rising above her bay window, which may help prevent its invasiveness. But I sugges
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Deep Blue Flowering Hydrangea loaded with Blooms

When to Prune Hydrangea, Deer!

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Hydrangeas blooms have been bountiful this year in the Northeast due to the mild and wet winter without the normal cycle of freezing and thawing that damages buds. Mine are so heavily laden that they are flopping, blocking access to the front
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a little girl in a blue sundress and pigtails holding hands with her mom.

Fistfuls of Pinecones Bring Happiness

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Last week, we spoke about Early Acorn Drop – Lessons of Letting Go. Acorns aren’t the only thing that seems to be dropping early. During a walk on Sunday on the Paulinskill Rail Trail, I meandered further and landed at our local airport.
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