Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
Heart-shaped fallen leaf covered with raindrops among autumn oak leaves

Another Lesson from the Leaf: Help Is on the Way

Life has a way of testing the very lessons we've grown to believe. A leaf in the wind brings another lesson about acceptance, letting go, love, and trusting that help is on its way.
Read More
Jolee standing beside a folded American flag in a garden bordered by large stone boulders

The Flag & the Knot – Growing Forward Anyway

A simple Fourth of July project turned into an unexpected lesson about perfection, progress, and moving forward anyway. What began as raising a flag became a story of mystery knots, laughter, poison ivy, and the wisdom Mother Nature offers in the Garden of Life.
Read More
Antique silver spoon engraved with the name Mary resting on a houseplant.

What We Carry Forward in the Garden of Life

From a Victorian berry spoon and a treasured letter to a friend's citizenship oath, reflections on belonging, gratitude, and the stories we carry forward in the Garden of Life.
Read More
Fresh spring leaves and a yellow flower drifting together in moving water symbolize connection, belonging, and life's journey.

Growing Belonging in the Garden of Life

While revising her book proposal inspired by The Lesson of the Leaf, Mary Stone discovers an unexpected truth woven through years of writing, gardening, and observing nature. The deepest lesson may not be about healing loneliness and loss—but about remembering that we belong.
Read More