Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries

Mar 09 2025 197 ep. 11 mins
Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries Podcast artwork

Join columnist and garden designer Mary Stone in sharing dilemmas, delights, & discoveries in the garden of life.

  Leisure  Science  Religion & Spirituality
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Ep 197. Favorite Spring Planted Bulbs - Koleen’s Corncob Robber

Mar 09 2025 12 mins  
Mary Stone shares her design colleague and dear friend Marty Carson’s favorite summer flowering bulbs to plant in spring, adding a few other hardy deer-resistant corms to the list. A discussion on using bone meal while planting bulbs as a squirrel deterrent leads to Koleen’s saga of a typo in a description of corn she ordered from a seed catalog, which turned into a humorous sq

Ep 196. Encouraging Indoor Spring Blooms of Hope

Mar 02 2025 12 mins  
Mary Stone discusses the how-tos of encouraging early indoor spring blooms that go beyond her go-to of Forsythia. She shares a story by her friend Vicki Johnson, a garden writer and photographer, who colorfully describes an assortment of Spring Flowering Woody Plants to enjoy. The episode concludes by suggesting we grow hope by spreading kindness and love amidst the feelings of unc

Ep 195. Healing from Hyper-Humus Peat Mining

Feb 23 2025 15 mins  
Mary Stone shares the history and environmental impact of peat mining by Hyper-Humus Inc., learned while attending an outing hosted by the Paulinskill Rivershed Watchers and the Food Shed Alliance in New Jersey. The Nature Conservancy and New Jersey Fish and Wildlife have received approval to restore the stream's natural sinuosity to improve water quality. Mary encourages using alt

Ep 194. Salt Impact on Plants and Remedies

Feb 16 2025 11 mins  
Mary Stone discusses the impact of road salt on plants and the environment, highlighting the damaging effects of chloride ions on dehydrating plants and aquatic life. Mary reviews beet juice, pickle, and cheese brine alternatives municipalities are testing, along with non-toxic home remedies to use instead of salt. Plus, ways to help by volunteering in your community activities to

Ep 193. Myths Truths and Protecting Roots

Feb 09 2025 11 mins  
Mary Stone discusses Myths and Truths about Roots that extend well beyond the tree and shrub branches. She also explains how to protect roots by not parking on them, which compacts soil and can kill a tree. She reviews the functions of Transport and Feeder Roots and how to safeguard the Root Plate, which stabilizes trees and shrubs. Mary wraps up by sharing a personal story about g

Ep 192. Groundhog Day- Ancient Origin and Accuracy

Feb 02 2025 10 mins  
Groundhog Day dates back thousands of years. While the accuracy of predicting winter's end is marginal, it's a fun tradition that celebrates nature. Mary Stone shares the ancient origin, amusing anecdotes, and ways of handling groundhogs while embracing their role in the Garden of Life. Thanks for tuning in! Related Posts and Podcasts you'll enjoy: Groundhog Day- Ancient Origin and

Ep 191. Welcoming Winter Sights and Silence

Jan 26 2025 10 mins  
Relishing nature and our gardens goes beyond Spring, Summer, and Fall. Our Garden of Life is Winter, too. Mary Stone shares the beauty and stillness in a walk around the Winter Season of Sights, Sounds, and Silence, encouraging listeners to do the same, comparing it to the silence between notes that enriches a song's melody. Thanks for tuning in! Related Posts and Podcasts you'll e

Ep 190. Encouraging Self-Seeding and Seeding Love

Jan 19 2025 12 mins  
Mary Stone shares the methods and importance of encouraging self-seeding to help wildlife. And reflects on the joy of seed catalog shopping and creating a vision board for your garden. The episode concludes with a reflection on Martin Luther King Jr Day, honoring his wisdom that "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend." Let us all do our part by self-

Ep 189. African Violet Care - Frozen in Time

Jan 12 2025 11 mins  
Mary Stone discusses the challenges of caring for African violets in heated homes. She reflects on the emotional significance of the plants inherited from her mother and humorously recalls her rescue dog Jolee's antics, which led to the loss of her mom’s ‘Frozen in Time’ African Violets. With one violet remaining in poor health, Mary seeks advice from the African Violet Socie

Ep 188. Benefits and Folklore of Dragonflies

Jan 05 2025 11 mins  
Mary Stone chats about the benefits and folklore of dragonflies, their fascinating life cycle, hunting savvy, and their role in controlling garden pests. Plus, dragonflies' cultural significance and ancient ancestry that date back 325 million years. She shares personal anecdotes, including a dragonfly visiting a memorial tree. She emphasizes the importance of letting go of habits o