Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries

Mary Stone
  • 4.9 (16)
  • Home & Garden
  • Updated Weekly

Join columnist and garden designer Mary Stone in sharing Dilemmas, Delights, & Discoveries in the Garden of Life.

  1. 1d ago

    Ep 269 - A Memory Trail Through Nature’s Fall Palette

    A walk along the Paulinskill Valley Trail leads Mary Stone down a memory trail of beloved dogs, changing paths, and how we adapt through seasons.  Memories of Sara—a tennis-ball-loving golden retriever who learned to play differently after two surgeries—lead back to the screen porch and a magnificent garden planted by Mother Nature.  We explore Jewelweed with exploding seeds and White Snakeroot that nourishes pollinators but has a toxic history. Plus sweeping colonies of Hay-scented Fern turning toward autumn yellow.  Then the memory trail returns to Miss Ellie Mae and Jolee, whose journey from a fearful rescue dog to a confident walking companion offers another lesson: sometimes a frightening road becomes familiar, and eventually we discover there is more than one way to go. Different dogs. Different walks. Different chapters of a life.  And still, the Garden of Life grows. 🌿🐾 Link to the Companion Post: A Memory Trail Through Nature’s Fall Palette Thank you for listening and for sharing the Garden of Life.🌻 Related Stories & Podcasts: 🐾 Miss Ellie Mae — My Unexpected Furry Messenger- Blog Post  Ellie's story is also featured in Episode 20, along with Father John's Memorial Garden.  🐾 Jolee — Merry Season of Love Over Fear - Blog Post Jolee's early journey from fear toward trust is featured in Episode 37.  🌿 Last week's story —Ep 268:  Finding Our Way Again Along the Paulins Kill More about the Podcast and Column:  Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.  It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone  Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com Direct Link to Podcast Page

  2. Sep 13

    Ep 268 - Finding Our Way Again Along the Paulins Kill

    A trail closure sends Mary Stone and her rescue dog, Jolee, in another direction for a restful walk along the Paulinskill Valley Trail, where late-summer wildflowers, remnants of railroad history, and the reestablished Paulins Kill River offer a reflection on change and restoration. Along the way, an old mile marker brings a profound, spirited lift. And memories of the former Paulina Dam, the river, surrounding landscape, and wildlife finding their way again remind us of life's transitions. Sometimes a familiar path is closed, and all we can do is turn in another direction and keep walking to find our way again.   Enjoy the Comanion Post: Finding Our Way Again Along the Paulins Kill  Related Stories & Episodes: Ep 267 A Not-So-Peachy Gel Dilemma   A Not-So-Peachy Gel Dilemma – Blog Post  Connect with Mary Stone Visit: AskMaryStone.com Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com  Thank you for listening and for sharing the Garden of Life.🌻 Related Posts and Podcasts: Preservation of the Paulins Kill River – Blog Post Ep 185. Preservation of the Paulins Kill - Overcoming Hardships Helpful Links:  About the Paulina Dam Design/Removal Restoring the Paulins Kill River More about the Podcast and Column:  Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.  It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone  Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com Direct Link to Podcast Page

  3. Sep 6

    Ep 267 - A Not-So-Peachy Gel Dilemma

    From sweet peas and peaches as terms of endearment to squirrels stealing the only peach on the tree, Mary Stone starts this week's garden chat on a playful note. Then a jelly-like peach-tree dilemma leads to gummosis, Cytospora canker, peach scab, and how stress and wounds can leave trees vulnerable to disease. Mary revisits a similar weeping cherry dilemma and what trees can teach us about looking beneath the surface—where old wounds and stresses may affect what's trying to grow aboveground. Sometimes, despite all our careful tending, the squirrel gets the peach. But there will be other seasons and other sweetness still to come. The same is true in our own Garden of Life. Enjoy the Companion Blog Post: A Not-So-Peachy Gel Dilemma Related Stories & Episodes: Ep 266 — It's Not Too Late to Plant Again, Sweet Pea It's Not Too Late to Plant Again — Blog Post Ep 250 — Weeping Cherry Dilemmas: Trees Tell a Story When a Weeping Cherry "Bleeds": What Lies Beneath — Blog Post Ep 176 — Revisiting Cicadas and How Gardens Glow Ep 133. Ripening Fall Tomato Hand-me-Downs Ripening Fall Tomato Hand-me-Downs – Blog Post Connect with Mary Stone Visit: AskMaryStone.com Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com  Thank you for listening and for sharing the Garden of Life.🌻 More about the Podcast and Column:  Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.  It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone  Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com Direct Link to Podcast Page

  4. Aug 30

    Ep 266 - It’s Not Too Late to Plant Again, Sweet Pea

    A neglected patch of vegetable garden, a disappointing spring harvest, and a few leftover seed packets inspire a late-season experiment—and a reminder that missed opportunities don’t always mean the season is over.  Mary Stone revisits an old “Sweet Pea” story while exploring fall crops of snow peas and beets, and discovers that sometimes we need to clear a little space, plant again, and see what happens in our gardens and in the Garden of Life.  Enjoy the companion Blog Post: It’s Not Too Late to Plant Again Related Episodes you will enjoy: Ep 265 - Tending What We Can in the Garden of Life Ep 254 - Leave Room for Wandering: Unexpected Greenhouse Treasures Ep 183 Honorable Harvest - Downsize Do-over Hello Sweet Pea – Blog Post Connect with Mary Stone Visit: AskMaryStone.com Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com  Thank you for listening and for sharing the Garden of Life.🌻 More about the Podcast and Column:  Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.  It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone  Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com Direct Link to Podcast Page

  5. Aug 16

    Ep 265 - Tending What We Can in the Garden of Life

    Sometimes we can't tend to everything at once.  Mary Stone shares her mission to manage the undesirable Mile-a-Minute weed and Japanese Stilt Grass, while heavy rains unexpectedly cleared the pond of favorable Duckweed.  Along the way, an old stone wall, resilient Blackberry Lilies, and newly visible frogs offer reminders that while we can't get to everything in our gardens—or our lives—we can tend what we can and let go of the rest. Link to the Companion Blog Post: Tending What We Can in the Garden of Life   Related Episodes you will enjoy: ·         Episode 177 — Nighttime Chorus of Garden Insects  ·        Episode 264  Another Lesson from the Leaf—Help Is on the Way ·         Episode 107 — Mile-a-Minute Weed and Butterfly Magnets ·         Episode 215 — The Tiny Wonder of Duckweed ·         Episode 211 — Truth and Tale of Two Country Gardens ·         Blackberry Lily & Soil Remediation  Blog Post A favorite "tool of the trade": ·         Farmer's Defense — Garden Protection Sleeves  Connect with Mary Stone Visit: AskMaryStone.com Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com  Thank you for listening and for sharing the Garden of Life.🌻 More about the Podcast and Column:  Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.  It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone  Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com Direct Link to Podcast Page

  6. Aug 9

    Ep 264 - Another Lesson from the Leaf: Help Is on the Way

    What happens when life tests the very lessons we hope to live? In this heartfelt episode, Mary Stone shares an emotionally difficult week that almost preempted the weekly chat. She invites listeners onto her screened porch, where a summer thunderstorm replaces the noisy cicadas, setting the stage for a conversation about acceptance, resilience, and hope.  Inspired by a recent Call to Calm meditation with Panache Desai, Mary reflects on the image of a single leaf surrendering to the wind and explores how embracing our emotions—rather than resisting them—can help us find peace. Mary also shares an update on her book, The Lesson of the Leaf, and why one closed door has become the beginning of a new path.  Along the way, she revisits a favorite summertime story about the Dog Days of Summer and the curious origins of the phrase "sweating like a pig," bringing a few laughs to a humid August afternoon. The episode closes with a heartfelt reflection on the love we share with our dogs, the pieces of our hearts they carry, and the reassurance that, even during life's hardest seasons, help is on the way. Enjoy the Companion Post: Another Lesson from the Leaf: Help Is on the Way 🌿 Related Links If you enjoyed today's reflection, you'll also enjoy my earlier Episode 234 Stillness Teaches Growth Through Nature, where winter's quiet offers another reminder that growth often begins when nothing appears to be happening. Episode 263: Doing Nothing Is Everything: Wisdom from Nature & Gardens Episode 69: The Origin of the Dog Days of Summer - (including the stories behind "Dog Days" and "Sweating Like a Pig")  Blog: The Origin of the Dog Days of Summer  Other helpful links:  Panache Desai free Call to Calm Meditations Connect with Mary Stone Visit: AskMaryStone.com Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com  Thank you for listening and for sharing the Garden of Life.🌻 More about the Podcast and Column:  Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.  It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone  Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com Direct Link to Podcast Page

  7. Aug 2

    Ep 263 - Doing Nothing and Everything: Wisdom from Nature & Gardens

    On a cool, humid summer morning from her screened porch, Mary Stone reflects on the richness of slowing down.  From a modest vegetable harvest and the gift of one perfectly ripe cherry tomato to birdwatching, fledgling birds, wandering goats, and the hidden life beneath our gardens, she discovers that doing nothing is often far from doing nothing at all. Join Mary as she explores gratitude, presence, the wisdom found in simply noticing, and the many ways nature and gardens continue to nurture us—even when they don't produce as we'd hoped. In this episode: Why a tiny garden harvest brought unexpected joyThe hidden purpose of voles and poison ivyBirdwatching as a practice of presenceDennis Briede's inspiring "sit" traditionGarlic scapes, beet greens, and a little garden humorWhat nature and gardens teach us about patience, hope, and letting life unfoldSometimes the greatest discoveries aren't found by doing more, but by slowing down long enough to notice what nature has been offering all along. 🌿 Related Links Ep 262 - Beneath the Surface: The Mystery of the Missing Roots Ep 34. Forest Bathing, Willowwood Champion TreesOther helpful links:  The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (mentioned in the episode) 🐦 Cornell Lab of Ornithology – All About Birds  Epic Gardening YouTube video How to Grow Garlic | Garlic Scapes, Harvesting, & Curing Connect with Mary Stone Visit: AskMaryStone.com Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com  Thank you for listening and for sharing the Garden of Life.🌻 More about the Podcast and Column:  Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.  It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone  Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com Direct Link to Podcast Page

  8. Jul 26

    Ep 262 - Beneath the Surface: The Mystery of the Missing Roots

    A thriving rose suddenly becomes loose in the soil, revealing a mystery hidden beneath the mulch. What first appears to be Chipmunk Damage leads to a closer look—Voles, a likely culprit.  Mary Stone explores the differences between Moles and Voles, practical ways to protect treasured plants, and how gardens often remind us that what we see on the surface rarely tells the whole story.  “Sometimes the greatest lessons, in gardens and in life, begin when we dig a little deeper.” In this episode: A garden mystery unfolds beneath a client's rose garden. Chipmunks, moles, and voles—who's really responsible? How hardware-cloth baskets can protect valuable roses and shrubs. Why poison is not an ideal solution. A white pine update with encouraging news. Reflections on accepting what we cannot control while tending what matters most. Enjoy the Companion Blog Post: Beneath the Surface: The Mystery of the Missing Rose Roots Related  Episodes to Enjoy: Ep. 261 – Treasures from the Warwick NY Garden Tour Ep. 185 – Preservation of the Paulinskill: Overcoming Hardships - how tree tubes used in habitat restoration inspired another way to protect vulnerable plants from unseen damage below ground.Ep. 66 – Chipmunk Remedies and Legends Ep. 54 – Sharing Comfort & Dividing Perennials - including a heartfelt reflection about ‘The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse,’ illustrated and handwritten by Charlie Mackesy.   Connect with Mary Stone Visit: AskMaryStone.com Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com  Thank you for listening and for sharing the Garden of Life.🌻 More about the Podcast and Column:  Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.  It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone  Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com Direct Link to Podcast Page

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Join columnist and garden designer Mary Stone in sharing Dilemmas, Delights, & Discoveries in the Garden of Life.

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