Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
Large edible rhubarb growing in a mulched garden bed

Rhubarb Edible vs. Ornamental— Kindness Helps Heal

From the difference between edible rhubarb and ornamental rhubarb, from blooming tea to rhubarb custard pie, Mary Stone reflects on friendship, healing, and the beautiful ways kindness helps us grow through difficult seasons of life.
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fern fiddleheads unfurling in early spring garden showing healing after winter

Healing After Winter: In the Garden—and in Life

After a long winter, the garden begins to heal—revealing both damage and resilience. In this reflective post, I share spring pruning tips, plant care insights, and lessons from nature, reminding us to slow down, notice beauty, and find healing in the garden and in life.
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dog helping with early spring garden cleanup moving leaves on tarp

Early Spring Tending: What to Keep, What to Clear

As winter loosens its grip, early spring invites us to tend—clearing what’s too heavy, redistributing what can nourish, and making space for what’s ready to grow.
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Red barns and tall silos reflected in calm winter pond water create a peaceful rural landscape of symmetry, stillness, and quiet seasonal beauty.

Reflections in the Garden of Life

In winter’s stillness, reflections reveal what shadows alone cannot. From mirrored ponds to garden design and the quiet wisdom of roots beneath the soil, this post explores how nature teaches us about healing, self-awareness, and the promise of spring in the garden of life.
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