Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
a woodcock staring at the camera in the early dusk with golden lighting on his brown and tan feathers.

Woodcock Dance – Making a Meadow

Hello fellow readers, What fun to witness the mating dance of an American Woodcock invited by my birder buddy Dennis Briede of Blairstown, NJ. Mic in hand, I captured his unusually loud, nasally insect-like sound while the male was on the ground, followed by a melodic call while swoop
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Dennis Briede in a ball cap standing in his meadow of colorful plants with a mountain ridge behind him.

Antics of Meadow Wildlife

Hello fellow readers, Over the almost eleven years of our column chats, I’ve often accessed the wisdom of Dennis Briede from Blairstown, NJ, who I refer to as my birder buddy, although he’s knowledgeable (I’d say expert, but he never boasts) on plants and wildlife an
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a small butterfly with ornate green, taupe with white streak details

Gift of Meadows & Mountain Mint

Hello fellow readers, An invitation to a pool party inspired gathering flowers from the garden to bring to the hosts. One of the lovelies, Mountain Mint, reminds me of a walk in the meadow with my birder buddy and naturalist I look forward to sharing with you. Voluptuous Hydrangea Flo
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a meadow filled with purple, yellow, and white wildflowers below a bright blue sky.

A Walk in the Meadow

Hello fellow readers, A walk in the meadow with my friend and go-to mystery solver of all things in nature is always a treat. While Dennis Briede’s day responsibility is Stewardship Manager for The Land Conservancy of New Jersey (http://tlc-nj.org/), his true passion is living among n
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