Mary Stone reflects on late-season garden projects, including the removal of old telephone poles and the careful harvesting of boulders for new retaining walls—done with deep respect for the surrounding ecosystem. She shares tips for planting perennials with liner plugs, using Stress X to support transplanted shrubs, and managing fallen leaves to benefit both wildlife and soil health.

Weaving garden wisdom with seasonal reflection, Mary Stone shares her tradition of decorating with roadside finds, turning late-fall garden tasks into natural holiday décor while honoring the beauty of gathering gently and respectfully from the land. This episode is a quiet meditation on care, change, and the healing that continues beneath the surface.

Related Podcasts and Posts

Ep 97. Etiquette of Pilfering Rocks

Etiquette of Pilfering Rocks

Ep. 230 Lessons from a Late No-Till Garden

Lessons from a Late No-Till Garden— Blog Post

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I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com.

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.

Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page

Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life,

Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer

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

Mary Stone reflects on the life and legacy of her dear friend and design colleague, Marty Carson, who recently passed away. She shares memories of their collaboration and the impact of Marty's wisdom and generosity on the gardening community, including a lecture they gave on deer-resistant gardening, which shared humorous and effective methods to deter deer. Mary concludes with personal updates on her own garden and a poem by Rumi, emphasizing gratitude and the beauty of nature.

Thanks for Tuning in!

Related Podcasts and Posts you'll Enjoy:

Two Best Gardeners of the Garden State – Blog Post

Remedies for Buck Rub – Blog Post

Springfest Lecture -Deer Resistant Plants - Blog Post

Ep 117. Deer Remedies & Rat Snakes / Non-Stinky Deer Deterrents – Blog Post

Ep 202. Pansies Bring Vicki Johnson's Garden Start / Violet and Pansy Season of Happiness - Blog Post

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

In this episode, Mary Stone shares the surprising gifts of her late-season vegetable garden and highlights the benefits of No-Till gardening. She walks through ripening green tomatoes indoors, saving seeds for next year and putting the garden to bed without disturbing the living soil below — a gentle practice that nurtures healthier plants and fewer weeds.

Mary also reflects on nature’s timing, the season of letting go, and the heartfelt loss of her dear friend and design colleague, Marty Carson. A tender, practical, and hope-filled episode for gardeners and nature lovers navigating their own seasons of change.

Thanks for tuning in!

Related Podcasts & Blog Posts:

Lessons from a Late No-Till Garden— Blog Post

🌿 No-Till Gardening Essentials

No-till Gardening and Starting a No-till Garden— Blog Posts

Ep 28. Three Sisters, No-Till Gardening

🌺 Veterans Day Reflections

Significance of Veterans Day Poppies — Blog Post

Ep 135. Significance of Poppies on Veterans Day

🌶️ Hot Peppers & Kitchen Fun

Growing HOT Peppers into cool Jelly — Blog Post

Ep 33. Hot Peppers into Cool Jelly, DIY Worm Castings

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

Mary Stone shares a breathtaking encounter with a flock of grackles while visiting the Karen Ann Quinlan Home for Hospice in Fredon, NJ. Their synchronized flight inspires a reflection on the quiet wisdom of nature and the beauty of unity in motion.

How the birds never collide opens a deeper exploration of how grackles — and all flocking birds — navigate together through separation, alignment, and cohesion. Their graceful movement offers a powerful metaphor for how we might live.

Thanks for Tuning In!

Related Podcasts and Posts:
🌿 Flocking Together – Wisdom from Grackles (Blog Post)

🌳 Promises That Live Beyond Seasons – Blog Post

🎧 Episode 228 Promises That Live on Beyond Seasons

Article on the University of Delaware website titled Blackbirds, Fly.

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

Mary Stone shares an update on her friend and design colleague, Marty Carson, who is now in hospice care in Florida. At the same time, with a heavy heart, she shares news of the closure of the Karen and Quinlan Home for Hospice in Fredon, NJ, due to financial and staffing challenges. Mary and her singing partner, Ken Roberts, volunteer weekly, offering music therapy.

To know that such compassionate care of our elderly and gravely ill is unsustainable is heartbreaking.

Mary wraps up by reflecting on the unfolding of God —or, source, if you prefer —in everything and everyone, and much of it goes beyond our senses. It's in the unseen. There is an eternity in all things, and with that comes hope.

Thanks for Tuning In!

Related Podcast and Posts:

Promises That Live Beyond Seasons - Blog Post

Ep 47. Personal Growth with Houseplants

Personal Growth with Houseplants - Blog Post

8888

I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com.

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.

Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page

Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life,

Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer

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

As fall unfolds, trees show us the art of letting go. From green to gold, orange to red, each leaf teaches us that change brings growth and beauty. In this episode, Mary Stone reflects on how nature mirrors our own seasons of transformation — and how letting go creates room for new life.

Thank you for tuning in!

Related Podcast and Posts:

Sequence of Fall Leaves Brings Life – Blog Post

https://askmarystone.com/sequence-of-fall-leaves-brings-new-life/

Ep 83. The Fall of the Leaf

The Fall of the Leaf - Blog Post

Forager Chef - How to Make Shagbark Hickory Syrup

8888

I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com.

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.

Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page

Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life,

Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer

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

Mary Stone shares the delights and cleanup sagas of Shagbark Hickory trees, highlighting their shaggy bark, edible nuts, and benefits to wildlife. She shares personal experiences and reader anecdotes, such as a client who planted Shagbark hickory for pollination and a reader from Indiana dealing with an excessive amount of nuts.

Mary explains the tree's three-year nut-producing cycle and how mast years and nutless years help balance populations through a process called predator satiation.

Thanks for tuning in!

Related Podcast and Posts:

Acorns and a Ruckus of Blue Jays - Blog Post with Blaine Rothhauser's stunning photos.

Ep 132. Shagbark Hickories and Nutty Mast Years

Shagbark Hickories – Nutty Mast Years - Blog Post

8888

I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com.

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.

Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page

Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life,

Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer

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

Mary Stone recounts witnessing a bear in her pond overnight, perhaps feeding on acorns. The encounter led her to learn about the Acorn Float Test, which assesses the viability of acorns for propagation.

Blue Jays flock to feast on acorns in the fall, making a ruckus. Like squirrels, they bury a stash, though many are never retrieved. Mary admits a previous grudge against Blue Jays, which shifted after observing their nature. She highlights the importance of Oak Trees and Blue Jays in the balance of our natural world.

Thanks for tuning in!

Related Podcast and Posts:

Blue Jays' Bad Reputation – Blog Post

Growing the Home Garden's YouTube channel: The Float Test: Separating the Good from the Bad Acorns

Ep 224. A Sunflower Maze of Healing

A Sunflower Maze of Healing - Blog Post

8888

I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com.

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.

Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page

Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life,

Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer

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