GARDEN DILEMMAS? ASK MARY!

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I have a long-standing client who considered using Roundup to tend to the weeds in walkway. Instead, I provided safe alternatives to harmful weed killers. But the best part is sharing life stories. A few years back, I dug in with Andrew of Spa

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Recently, I designed a low-maintenance garden filled with perennials, shrubs, and trees for year-round interest in Bergen County, NJ, not far from New York City. Around it, we planted a pollinator-friendly lawn alternative: a combination of No

Hello, lovers of all things green. Our public gardens are a sure way to get a garden and nature “fix” with no cost of admission. Bruce Crawford, Morris County Park Commission’s Manager of Horticulture, invited me to tour the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ.

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green; I came across two snapping turtles swimming near shore at Catfish Pond in Blairstown, NJ. Turtles have always fascinated me, but more so since my soulful twin brother passed away. Bill felt a strong connection to turtles, marveling over their

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’

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, I’ve been listening to Robin Wall Kimmerer, the author of  Braiding Sweetgrass, read her extraordinary book. Her voice brings her lyrical, expressive words to life as beautifully as they are written – singing like the songs of nature. Dr

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, The routine of a family of Robins nesting in the Doublefile Viburnum outside the kitchen window did not happen this year. Let’s just say aggressive fall pruning done by someone who lives here inhibited the protection of the thick canopy

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

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