Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries
Join columnist and garden designer Mary Stone in sharing dilemmas, delights, & discoveries in the garden of life.
Episodes
178 episodes since 2019
Ep 178. Remember, Learn, Grow and Love
Links to related Blog Posts: September Roadside Beauties 9-11 Remember, Learn, Gr...
September 15, 2024
•
Episode 178
•
11:54
Ep 177. Nighttime Chorus of Garden Insects
In this episode, Mary Stone chats about the nighttime chorus of garden insects from her screened porch, highlighting the Agile Meadow Katydid, Fall Field Cricket, and Snowy Tree Cricket. Then shares a personal story about her niece ...
September 08, 2024
•
Episode 177
•
11:27
Ep 176. Revisiting Cicadas and How Gardens Glow
Mary Stone reflects on her recent trip to California and the joy of reconnecting with a lifelong friend. She discusses listener responses to previous episodes, including Lorraine's recent solution for her Bowing Blossoms of Limelight Hydrangeas...
September 01, 2024
•
Episode 176
•
10:21
Ep 175. Koleen’s Dagnabbit Rabbit Dilemma
You may remember the treat of learning about John Cabot Roses through my writer friend Koleen Garland, who lives in Canada. In this episode, Koleen reads a saga about her ...
August 25, 2024
•
Episode 175
•
13:02
Ep 174. Bowing Blossoms of Limelights
In this episode, we revisit the story of Lorraine's Flopping Limelight Hydrangea and chat about a new variety that solves the Bowing Blossoms of Limelights.Lorraine's garden dilemma came four years ago when we said goodbye to our beloved...
August 18, 2024
•
Episode 174
•
9:03
Ep 173. Oakleaf Hydrangea for All Seasons
In this episode, we chat about replacing invasive plants like Burning Bush with Native Plants, highlighting the beauty and versatility of Oak Leaf Hydrangeas for All Seasons. We review beautiful garden companions for Oak Leaf Hydrangea, varieti...
August 11, 2024
•
Episode 173
•
9:29
Ep 172. When to Prune Hydrangea, Deer!
Due to the mild and wet winter in the Northeast, we've enjoyed abundant hydrangea blooms, so much so that plants are flopping and blocking walkways. We revisit a story When to Prune Hydrangea, Deer! (When deer heavily pruned my hyd...
August 04, 2024
•
Episode 172
•
10:08
Ep 171. Fistfuls of Pinecones Bring Happiness
In this episode, I share a charming scene of a young girl gathering pinecones by the fistful outside the Runway Café bringing her and me such happiness. May we all cherish our fists of treasures, living with gratitude for the beautiful gifts in...
July 28, 2024
•
Episode 171
•
10:09
Ep 170. Early Acorn Drop - Lessons of Letting Go
An entertaining exchange about the possible Causes of an Abundance of Acorns Dropping Early leads to Lessons in Letting Go.Nearby Oak trees were defoliated by Spongy Moths, formerly called Gypsy Moths, and could be the cause. We chat abo...
July 21, 2024
•
Episode 170
•
9:42
Ep 169. Safe Alternatives to Harmful Weed Killers
A long-standing client considered using Roundup to tend to the weeds in his patio and walkway. Instead, I shared Safe Alternatives to Harmful Weed Killers.In this episode, I share bits of our 15-year history of working together, includin...
July 14, 2024
•
Episode 169
•
10:23
Ep 168. Pollinators Love No-Mow Clover Lawns
I recently designed a low-maintenance garden. Around it, we planted a pollinator-friendly lawn alternative: a combination of No-Mow Lawn and Micro-clover Seed Mix and No-Mow Flowering Lawn Seed Mix from American Meadows. The client...
July 07, 2024
•
Episode 168
•
10:21
Ep 167. The Gift of a Giant Umbrella Pine
In this episode, we share a visit to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ, which came with an extraordinary surprise—the arrival of the Gift of a Giant Umbrella Pine. The story includes insights from those involved in the arrival: Bruc...
June 30, 2024
•
Episode 167
•
15:49
Ep 166. Revisiting Turtle Island & Slug Remedies
We start the episode revisiting the creation myths of Native Americans naming North America as "Turtle Island." Turtles are welcome guests in the garden; Box turtles eat up to 10,000 slugs a season and other pests, including grubs.We wra...
June 23, 2024
•
10:37
Ep 165. Lessons from Braiding Sweetgrass
In this episode, we start with an update on the Song Sparrow meets Robin, thanks to Blaine Rothauser, an expert on all things in nature, leading to Lessons from Braiding Sweetgrass. Sweetgrass, Hierochloe (meaning "holy gra...
June 16, 2024
•
Episode 165
•
12:03
Ep 164. Song Sparrow Meets Robin
When the light begins to break, songbirds sing their happy calls of gratitude that Morning has Broken, reminding us of the lyrics to the song Cat Stevens made famous. American Robins are among the first birds to lay eggs in the spri...
June 09, 2024
•
Episode 164
•
9:08
Ep 163. Holy Moly Rose Remedies
Thankfully, there are resistant rose varieties, such as Knockout Roses and John Cabot Roses we discussed in Ep. 162. But even with that, dilemmas can arise. In this episode, we discuss unsightly rose dilemmas requiring Holy Moly Rose Remedies t...
June 02, 2024
•
Episode 163
•
10:26
Ep 162. The Irresistible John Cabot Rose
What a treat to share a writer friend's story about John Cabot Rose from the Explorer Series. Koleen Garland, from Canada, titled her two-hour writing binge -That Indestructible, Irresistibly Beautiful John Cabot Rose. We wrap up th...
May 26, 2024
•
Episode 162
•
10:38
Ep 161. Wonders of Willowwood with Bruce Crawford
I look forward to sharing a few glorious Wonders of Willowwood Arboretum in Chester Township, NJ, as shared by Bruce Crawford, Manager of Horticulture of Morris County Park Commission. I especially adore the wisdom gained from the beauty of the...
May 19, 2024
•
Episode 161
•
10:07
Ep 160. Comical Sagas plus Solutions for Carpenter Ants
Today's topic hits close to home. Sandy's pine bark nuggets were filled with huge black ants and termites. The close-to-home part is that I was tackling carpenter ants that nested in the screened porch, so Sandy's dilemma was my dilemma, too.
May 12, 2024
•
Episode 160
•
7:28
Ep 159. Fixing Funky Fungi in Mulch
Mushrooms are the fruit of valuable spores that decay organic material and recycle nutrients into the soil, which is good for plants. However, in volumes, they're unsightly in the garden. In this episode, we review the icky fungi th...
May 05, 2024
•
Episode 159
•
10:18
Ep 158. Making Friends with Companion Plants
This episode discusses Companion Plants for your Vegetable Garden to control pests, encourage beneficial insects and pollinators, and increase yields. We share an overview of Three Sisters Gardening, the origin of companion plantings from Nativ...
April 28, 2024
•
Episode 158
•
9:25
Ep 157. Benefits of Plantain & Dandelion "Weeds"
Have you ever considered Broadleaf Plantain, the flat-leaved weed that invades your lawn, a beneficial plant? It is, as are my favorite Dandelions.In this episode, we chat about the benefits of both and I share Koleen Garland's hilarious...
April 21, 2024
•
Episode 157
•
11:13
Ep 156. Castor Beans & Jefferson's Monticello Lab for Plants
Thomas Jefferson's birthdate recalls visiting Monticello, considered a Lab for Plants. We chat about the fascinating history of the plantation and Jefferson's Garden Book, which is filled with trials and tribulations. One is his remarkable Cast...
April 14, 2024
•
Episode 156
•
10:24
Ep 155. Spacing Plants and Splendid Smokebush
The episode starts with a fun little ditty about Bumbershoots (umbrellas) and a chat about Spacing Plants to avoid having to prune them. Plus, the reasons to prune are similar to those for caring for ourselves and our families. We d...
April 07, 2024
•
Episode 155
•
10:00
Ep 154. Root Pruning and a Journey of Growth
I look forward to sharing a sequel to Early Spring Transplants with a story about Root Pruning that relates to our lives. But before that, I share a personal journey of recovery and growth. Then we chat about the how-too's of Root P...
March 31, 2024
•
Episode 154
•
10:02