Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
a close up of John Cabot Roses with hot pink petals and yellow centers.

The Irresistible John Cabot Rose

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, What a treat to learn about John Cabot Roses through a story shared by a writer friend, Koleen Garland, who lives in Canada. She titled her “two-hour writing binge” (meaning first draft, hard to believe)—That Indestructible, Irresi
Read More
A rejuvinated pruned maroon leaf smokebush in bloom that looks like smok

Rejuvenation Pruning & Smokebush

Hello, fellow lover of all things green, It felt therapeutic to tend to the rejuvenation pruning of the Smokebush and other shrubs. Rejuvenation pruning involves drastically cutting back overgrown plants to restore them to their intended shape or to manage their size, which was the ca
Read More
Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Early Spring Trasnplants

Early Spring Transplants

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Early Spring, after the ground thaws, is ideal for transplanting many deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs before they break dormancy. It’s the second-best time in my book. The first best time is after the leaves drop or when they go
Read More
Looking up at a Sycamore with creamy white, grey, and greenish patches on the trunk against a blue sky

Anatomy & Array of Beautiful Bark

Hello, fellow lover of all things green, During winter walks through the woods, the bark of trees takes center stage, especially standing in the snow. I confess to not being the best and identifying species without leaves unless a few are on the tree or the ground nearby. Bruce Crawfo
Read More
Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog, Mary Stone, what rose colors mean, valentines tips

Meaning of Roses & Valentine’s Traditions

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Do you recall Valentine’s Day traditions as a kid having to bring cards to school? It was an assignment. An obligation. One for each classmate. Cards came in assortment packs and while the sayings were mostly about friendliness, which is
Read More
Mary Stone, Garden Dilemmas, Ask Mary Stone,Gardening tips, Garden Blogs, Stone Associates Landscape Design, Garden Blog,Northern New Jersey Landscape Designer, Partridge Berry

Festive Partridge Berry

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, After the first snow, followed by heavy rains, I roamed the property looking for beauty amongst the dreary skies, muddy lawn, and lack of frosting. I came upon festive Partridge Berry, a charming native ground cover I didn’t know we had.
Read More
A light brown bottlebrush buckeye seed with tough leather-like capsules

Sowing the Treasures of Buckeye Seeds

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Once again, I was late tending to my garden, scurrying about just before the first snow. You’ve likely heard the phrase “a shoemaker without shoes.” It’s ironic how folks who provide a service often neglect to provide i
Read More
Close-up of winter berries in snow

Berries for Winter Beauty and Wildlife

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, One of my joys is meeting and working with others who relish our dear earth’s gifts, often leading to sharing life stories. There’s something about being in a garden and amongst nature that releases the tension of day-to-day living
Read More
Holly-on-Angel

Legend of Holly & Christmas Trees

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, In search of a special Christmas card, I found one that intrigued me. “The Legend of the Christmas Tree,” is the headline, with an artist rendering of a man on a horse pulling an evergreen towards a log cabin in the woods. The Lege
Read More
Honeylocust-Spikes

Honey Locust the Porcupine of Trees

Native Honeylocust has long bean-looking seedpods I used to decorate window boxes. The fascinating tree's sharp spikes are prominent this time of year. It’s remarkable how nature creates mechanisms to protect trees from predators - much like a porcupine.
Read More