GARDEN DILEMMAS? ASK MARY!

Hello fellow readers, It’s been fun hearing about your favorite seed catalogs. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is one of your favorites. And what a history of the American Dream! At age 3 owner Jere Gettle began growing plants and in 1998, at 17, he printed his first catalog. Since t

Hello fellow readers, Last week The Press published a wonderful quote by Robert Brault. ‘In every gardener there is a child who believes in The Seed Fairy.’ Turns out the day before it published I happened to speak with the seed fairies at Catherine Dickson Hofman Library in Blairstow

Hello fellow readers, I always feel sad when I see retired Christmas trees curbside. It feels wasteful, even though they’ve served their intended purpose, to toss them out in the trash when there is still more these beauties can do. Many towns have programs of gathering used Christmas

Hello fellow readers, So long 2014. We’ve learned lots from each other. We found Nemo, the analogy of rediscovering Neem Oil – the old tried and true natural alternative to synthetic pesticides that’s not harmful to people, pets or beneficial bugs such as butterflies, bees

This photo entitled ‘Hope’ was as a holiday greeting to cherished colleagues and clients this year. But when I took the photo, only a few weeks after the passing of my beloved brother Bill, I didn’t think of the scene as Hope. True, the beauty of the long shadows ensued by the g

Hello fellow readers, It’s starting already—gardening withdrawals. Margaret of Washington asked how to force Paperwhite bulbs which reminds me of a simple winter withdrawal remedy that makes a wonderful Christmas gift. It’s as easy as putting the Narcissus papyraceus bulbs

Hello fellow readers, Busted! My buddy Paulette from Blairstown, NJ, caught me picking up the “roadkill” the other day. My philosophy is if you can’t find all that you need in your digs, there’s nothing wrong with a little roadside cleanup. Roadkill is Paulette’s witty des

Hello fellow readers, We sure had an early preview of things to come and I wasn’t ready. What a sight to see as I rallied in snow boots and cross country ski garb in the heavy pre-Thanksgiving Day snow to cut back my Eupatorium /Joe-Pye Weed and lay their seed heads under the snow ont

Hello fellow readers, I considered delaying part two of our talk about Worm Composting in the spirit of a more appetizing topic for Thanksgiving, but a promise is a promise. And dinner preparations will make plenty of grub for your worms. (For those that missed last week, here’s