GARDEN DILEMMAS? ASK MARY!

Hello fellow readers, I recently attended the Springfest Retirement gathering of organizer volunteers. Yes, the Springfest Garden Show held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta NJ is retiring after 20 years. As the 20th Anniversary unfolded, reports at the register and the crow

Hello fellow readers, What a roller coaster this spring has been. It came on like a lamb with highs up to 70 degrees stimulating early growth. Then, in comes the lion of overnight temps well below freezing. Many of the early blooming trees like magnolias ‘froze their faces’ I can hear

Hello fellow readers, I’m not quite sure what inspired me to start collecting coffee grounds from the pods I once was resistant to use. Coffee grounds are terrific for your compost pile, but I don’t have one because of our resident bear. A while back, I considered worm composting indo

Hello fellow readers, Vinegar goes beyond salad. Using white vinegar in household cleaning is inexpensive and effective. While it leaves your house smelling like a pickle, the more natural approach is well worth it. Plus, vinegar can help control weeds. Horticultural-grade Vinegar Ron

Hello fellow readers, For those of you that tuned in last week, the spring ‘honey do list’ went without a glitch; beyond expectation in terms of all that matters. And my dear Curt was a wonderful sport with the ribbing. Truly, I didn’t expect him to gather the remaining dead heads (so

Hello, fellow readers, Indeed, it feels like Spring has arrived early, but don’t let Mother Nature fool you into starting seeds too early in the garden. Check seed packs for when to start them outside. It’s time to start seeds indoors; the rule of thumb is eight weeks befo

Hello fellow readers, “They’ve been around since before the dinosaurs, and few people get angry at frogs,” said Tedor Whitman, Executive Director of the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum (CHA) in Short Hills NJ, during a Frog Watch USA training I was blessed to attend. Clever

Hello fellow readers, It seems we’re all aching for fields of green with pops of color. This week several asked about starting wildflower gardens. Adding a wildflower meadow as an eco-friendly lawn alternative is appealing. Folks think you just toss seeds out in the field, and v

Hello fellow readers, I had the privilege of visiting the in-process plants for the upcoming 20th Anniversary of the Springfest Garden Show. Meadowbrook Farms of Jenkintown PA is major player in propagating plants for the Philadelphia Flower Show as well. My colleague Marty Carson of