GARDEN DILEMMAS? ASK MARY!

Hello Fellow Readers, Thanksgiving is a time to gather and reflect on gifts we are grateful for. Versions of the holiday are celebrated at different times of the year by other countries too. While most folks consider it a secular holiday (not based on religion), most religions offer p

Hello Fellow Readers, Last week’s buck rub chat inspired John from Pen Argyl, PA, to ask if feeding deer would keep them from eating his shrubs. There are signs around town offering deer corn for sale, which means folks with kind intentions feed them. Or, maybe planning to bate them f

Hello Fellow Readers, I recently helped JoAnn of Blairstown plant five new maple trees. Sun Valley Red Maples to be specific (Acer Rubrum ‘Sun Valley’) as their exceptional red fall color is in its glory later than most. It occurred to me that it would be wise to protect t

Hello Fellow Readers, Last week I mentioned that my neighbor Bill ate his volleyball – a Giant Puffball Mushroom, that is, Calvatia gigantean. I have a volleyball, too, that I’ve been monitoring in amazement, but it didn’t occur to me to eat it! I’ve always admired folks that kn

Hello fellow readers, Have you ever heard of fairy rings? Neither have I until now. I always enjoy questions from Craig of Frelinghuysen, New Jersey. Without exception, his garden dilemmas always bring a chuckle. Remember his willows gone wild with the icky sticky slime? This time, he

Hello fellow readers, Recently I met with Andrea of Morristown whose property is graced with grand old ash trees one of which has died. Dave Dubee, arborist of Greenwood Tree, shared that while the dreaded Emerald Ash Borer is getting close to home, Andrea’s ash was not a victim

Hello fellow readers,  When I was a girl, my sister dared me to rub a leaf all over me. Even then, I was a plant person and always up to the ‘I dare you’ challenge. The leaf was in a grouping of three, and I picked one and dutifully painted myself with it. I bet you know w

Hello fellow readers, Greetings from Cape May where I am enjoying a fall respite. Cape May is at the very end of New Jersey and has attracted vacationers since the mid-18th century designating it as the country’s oldest seaside resort. In 1878 a fire destroyed much of the town c

Hello fellow readers, It’s fun to grow herbs and enjoy them all summer long. But I’ll admit, I still dive into my stash of dry herbs even though there’s fresh ones out in the garden. Lazy Mary? Maybe. But a big part if it is, I’m used to cooking with dry herbs. Bill from Stone Church