Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
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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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a sundial in a garden of gravel and river stone and sedum

A Special Sedum & Succulent Garden

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, After last week’s Festive Partridge Berry – Terrarium Basics Podcast (Episode 144), Jamie asked if the sedums used in the terrarium are succulents, reminding me of a special sedum and succulent garden. I had the privilege of helping the
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a field of red poppies

Significance of Veterans Day Poppies

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, It was confusing the day before Veterans Day this year. Folks were off, and schools closed. I thought it was always on November 11. There’s a significance to 11-11, and why poppies are on lapels on Veterans Day and in our garden. So, I d
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a large yellow sunflower with a honeybee standing in front of a field of sunflowers.

A Sunflower Maze Brings Happiness

Hello, fellow readers, What a joy to visit Liberty Farm’s Sussex County Sunflower Maze in Sandyston, NJ, who invited us for a special day bringing happiness. It’s their 14th year of growing the maze. Raj Sinha started growing sunflowers when the New Jersey Audubon Society
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Blueish-purple flowers of Chicory in a field

Bachelor Buttons vs. Chicory Look-alikes

Hello fellow readers; I recently discovered Bachelor Buttons are called Chicory and Chicory Bachelor Buttons, though they are look-alikes. Such fun to learn about these blue beauties’ origins, differences, and love stories. And there’s Chicory Fairy and poem, sure to delig
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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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a favorite mulch alternative with large heart-shaped silver leaves outlined by a web of green veins and light purple flowers.

Plant Mulch Alternatives

Hello fellow readers, Last week’s chat about remedies of carpenter ants and termites in mulch brings to mind the best solution of all. Plant mulch alternatives instead—groundcovers, which go beyond everyday ones like pachysandra and vinca minor. First, consider cultural requirem
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lady's mantle leaves with water droplets

Dollar Spot & Lotus Effect

Hello fellow readers, Have you noticed on a humid summer morning, sometimes there are shiny clusters of droplets on what looks like cobwebs in the lawn? The webs could be the branching nature of dollar spot fungus. Or, they may be the webs of grass spiders. Then there are the adorable
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Litter being picked up in a white grovery bag with a smiley face next to mugwort

Weeding Mugwort – Picking up Litter

Hello fellow readers, Did you ever wonder why folks toss trash out their window littering our world? Did someone teach them that? Or is it they have no respect for our dear earth. Rather than being angry about it as I used to be, I’ve begun to pick it up during road walks. I think of
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a garden of yellow daffodils in the shape of a cross

Dividing & Sharing Perennials

Hello Fellow Readers, I hope you enjoy the story of how I celebrated Easter 2020, dividing and sharing perennials. Easter with family wasn’t to be as I’m sure was true for most of you. Instead, we took a road trip up to Pine Bush, NY, to tend to my family’s plot. I b
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