GARDEN DILEMMAS? ASK MARY!

Hello fellow readers, Katie of Piscataway, NJ, recently shared her ‘horrible backyard dilemma.’ Her home was once her Dad’s, which piqued my curiosity. How could her Dad’s backyard be so horrible? It turns out the neighbor’s bamboo has taken over. At firs

Hello fellow readers, I’ve been known to stop in my tracks to take a photo of a beautiful tree, garden, or the magnificence of nature’s inspiration. Then there’s what I kindly call ‘garden nots’ which became a fun lecture topic not long ago. Recently I visited Cape May where glorious

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Last week, I shared the desperate measure of hacking back leatherleaf viburnums plagued with aphids. Ironically, Betsy from Stone Church, PA, asked about using castor bean plants in her garden, which I planted to camouflage the ‘uglies&#

Hello fellow readers, The reasons to prune are similar to the reasons for caring for ourselves and our families– Improving appearance and health, training the young, controlling size, preventing injury or damage, rejuvenating the old, and influencing bounty. But choosing the rig

Hello fellow readers, As I share this week’s dilemma, delight, or discovery in the garden of life, I can’t help but reflect on the significance of Memorial Day. A holiday set aside in memory of those that served. It’s heartwarming to see folks setting up the American

Hello fellow readers, Jacquie from Andover bought some comfrey seeds to try. She heard comfrey leaves are great for the soil and it’s true. Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis), native to Europe, can juice up your garden with nutrients. But before you opt to plant it, consider that

Hello fellow readers, ‘It looks like a sea anemone!’ wrote Ruth of Hope referring to the alien-looking bright orange thingy with finger-like protrusions found on a cedar tree. Turns out this two-inch slimy blob is caused by a fungi called Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae (wowee; t

Hello fellow readers, I love when folks send pictures of their gardens especially when their plants make new babies. Kathy of Andover sent a picture of her baby yarrows. The dilemma though, is she has more babies than she can handle. Yarrow are indeed ambitious plants native to most o

Hello fellow readers, Bruce from Bangor PA, asked if he had a woodchuck or groundhog problem borrowing holes all over his yard. Same critter Bruce just a different label. They’re Marmota monax, to be exact, and are in the same family as squirrels – but much bigger eaters. And to