Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries, Ask Mary Stone, New Jersey Garden blog
bright red and green leaves of Japanese Maple and yellow leaves of Bottlebrush Buckeye in the background

Sequence of Fall Leaves Brings Life

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. We are past the peak of fall colors, though there’s still more to enjoy. Before me are the brilliant red leaves of a Japanese Maple and the golden glory of Bottlebrush Buckeye, dancing on in the breeze, bringing to mind how leaves change
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a brown chipmunk with cheeks stuffed with nuts

Beyond Nutty Mast Year

Hello fellow readers, These are nutty times—far nuttier than usual. Have you noticed the plentiful tree nuts as compared to last year? In my neck of the woods, the shagbark hickory nuts are overabundant and golf ball size. So much, so that walking amongst them is risky for ankle stabi
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baseball sized black walnit on the sude of the road

A Nutty Winter in Store?

Hello fellow readers, Nuts are abundant this fall which, in weather folklore, means a harsh winter is ahead. When walking around our Shagbark Hickory trees (Carya ovata) it feels as though I’m skating on marbles. The first time I was introduced to shagbark nuts was when a golf ball si
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Looking up at the shaggy bark of a shagbark hickory trunk.

Juglone Companion Plants

Hello fellow readers, One of the native trees that grace my yard is a shagbark hickory (Carya ovata). Its common name speaks for itself, with shaggy bark that stands out like a sculpture. But a treasure to some can be a nuisance to others. It’s true; the first time a golf ball-sized n
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