Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
a single yellow bloom of a Winter Aconite in the Snow

Winter Flowers and Folklore

Hello fellow readers, Snowdrops and Winter Aconite are in bloom leading me to the folklore of the winter flowers. And how Snowdrops, known as Candlemas Bells, are featured on Candlemas Day, representing hope. You likely know the most famous legend for March – In like a lion, out like
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a huge flock of white snow geese flying into a farm field

Snow Geese Teach Acceptance

Hello, fellow readers. Snow geese and Canadian geese are glorious to many but pests to some, bringing a lesson of acceptance I hope you’ll enjoy. As I drove to the Karen Ann Quinlan Home for Hospice for my weekly volunteer sing, an enormous flock of snow geese fed on the farm fi
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a five-foot wide sycamore trunk decorated with a ring of ghosts and a sign that reads Boo

Halloween History & Sycamore Ghosts

Hello fellow readers, How fun to see Halloween enthusiasts decorating their homes like Christmas with purple and orange lights, cobwebs, and spiders. Even smoke machines, reminiscent of the disco days. Skeletons, goblins, and ghosts adorned a front yard we came upon; some were hanging
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A an older golden retriever with a white face and big smile named Miss Ellie Mae sitting in a garden .

Origin of Dog Days & Sweating Like a Pig

Hello fellow readers, Mysteriously, a photo of our dear Miss Ellie appeared while posting last week’s column. It was taken on a hot day while out weeding. Miss Ellie plopped herself in the garden to cool herself off. It brought a smile as recently I snagged a photo of Jolee doin
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a brown chipmunk with cheeks stuffed with nuts

Chipmunk Remedies & Legends

Hello fellow readers, I hope you enjoy the story of Jolee’s big dig, inspiring a chat about chipmunk remedies and legends about why they have stripes. “It’s the only way I could get her to stop digging.” Three weeks ago, after working in the field, I came home
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a tightly branched Alberta Spruce shrub with a mutating branch reverting to a regular white spruce

Mystery of Mutating Alberta Spruce

Hello fellow readers, We chatted recently about grafted weeping cherry trees that can revert to their rootstock and shoot out straight branches, often flowering a different color. Matthew from Hope, NJ, asked if that’s what’s happening to his Alberta Spruce. “It look
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tips of pussy willow branches with puffy catkins against a bright blue sky

Easter Pussy Willows

Hello fellow readers, Outside the screened porch is a stump of what was a large pussy willow planted by the previous owners. It was in severe decline before we cut it down last fall. It typically bloomed around Easter, which is likely why we decorate with pussy willows during the holi
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Close-up of winter berries in snow

Winter Beauty of Winterberry

Hello fellow readers, While enjoying the respite from gardening, we can relish the winter landscape filled with many treasures. Such as the winter beauty of native Winterberry I came upon along the access road to Camp Mohican in Blairstown, NJ— the red berries brilliant against the dr
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a closeup of a peeper on foliage

Planting Following Nature

Hello fellow readers, Have you ever heard when the peepers are peeping, it’s time to plant peas? Or when dandelions bloom, it’s a cue to dig in potatoes? It’s called phenology –observing animal migrations and when certain insects, amphibians, and hibernating animals
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snowy farm field with lambs in a light snow

March Folklore of Hope

Hello fellow readers, This morning, Curt recited the familiar folklore that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Then I reversed it as my mom always did.”In like a lamb out like a lion.” He had never heard it that way. In like a lion out like a lamb Upon researc
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