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.

Link to companion blog post: 

Doing Nothing and Everything: Wisdom from Nature & Gardens

🌿 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? [email protected] 

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

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 joy
• The hidden purpose of voles and poison ivy
• Birdwatching as a practice of presence
• Dennis Briede's inspiring "sit" tradition
• Garlic scapes, beet greens, and a little garden humor
• What nature and gardens teach us about patience, hope, and letting life unfold

Sometimes 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 Trees

Other 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? [email protected] 

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

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? [email protected] 

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

What makes a garden unforgettable? Sometimes it's a rare plant or a beautiful pond. More often, it's the people behind the garden.

Join Mary Stone for a day exploring seven remarkable private gardens on the 32nd Annual Countryside Garden Tour, hosted by the Warwick Valley Gardeners. 

Along the way, she meets passionate gardeners, discovers clever design ideas, learns about unusual plants, shares conversations with fellow garden lovers, and uncovers the stories that make each landscape unique.

Whether you enjoy touring gardens or appreciate the beauty and wisdom they offer, I invite you to come along for the journey.

Link to the Related Blog Post: Treasures from a Countryside Garden Tour

Related Episodes

🌿 Episode 260 – The Flag and the Knot: Growing Forward Anyway

🌿 Episode 259 – What We Carry Forward in the Garden of Life

🌿 Episode 258 – The Gift of Noticing: A Dove Tree That Didn't Bloom

🌿 Episode 257 – Love Lovage: Treasures at Well-Sweep Herb Farm

🌿 Episode 256 – Lessons from Spiderwort and Crooked Trees

🌿 Ep. 22 – Lessons from Spruce and Forest Pansies of Hope (referenced in this episode during the discussion about Norway spruce)

Thank you to the Warwick Valley Gardeners, the homeowners who graciously opened their gardens, and my companions—Susan, Tara, Kathleen, and young Thomas—for making the day one to remember, Mary Stone

Connect with Mary Stone

Visit: AskMaryStone.com

Garden Dilemmas? [email protected] 

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

 A "quick" Fourth of July project turned into an unexpected lesson in patience, perseverance, and letting go of perfection. 

After years of waiting to paint an old flagpole, Mary Stone decides it's time to raise a new flag. What follows is a comedy of mystery knots, weathered rope, improvised repairs, and a reminder that life rarely unfolds under perfect conditions.

Along the way, she reflects on freedom, belonging, the wisdom of gardens, and how nature keeps moving forward despite imperfections. Plus, a brief update on a familiar garden nemesis—poison ivy.

In this episode:

• A Fourth of July flagpole adventure 
• The lesson hidden in an old knot 
• Why perfection can keep us stuck 
• Gardens as teachers of resilience 
• A poison ivy encounter 

Enjoy the companion Blog Post: The Flag & the Knot – Growing Forward Anyway.

Related Episodes:

🌿 Episode 259 – What We Carry Forward in the Garden of Life
A reflection on memory, legacy, and the gifts we carry with us.

🌿 Episode 258 – The Gift of Noticing: A Dove Tree That Didn't Bloom
How beauty and meaning remain, even when expectations aren't met.

🌿 Episode 255 – Growing Belonging in the Garden of Life
Exploring our shared desire for connection, purpose, and belonging.

🌿 Ep 108. Value of Virginia Creeper vs. Poison Ivy

Connect with Mary Stone:

Visit: AskMaryStone.com

Garden Dilemmas? [email protected] 

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

In this Fourth of July episode, Mary reflects on a Victorian berry spoon gifted by a friend's son, a family table and long-forgotten letter from her father, a dear friend's journey to United States citizenship, and the lessons unfolding in the vegetable garden.

From heirlooms and promises to volunteer tomatoes and a bird building a nest, this episode explores the stories, values, and acts of kindness we carry forward from one generation to the next.

As we celebrate 250 years of our nation's history, may we pause to consider what we are planting, preserving, and passing on in our own Garden of Life.

"Without context, they're just objects. With context, they become vessels carrying pieces of our lives." — Mary Stone

Link to the Companion Blog Post: What We Carry Forward in the Garden of Life

Related Episodes: 

🌿 Episode 258 – The Gift of Noticing: A Dove Tree That Didn't Bloom

🌿 Episode 255 – Growing Belonging in the Garden of Life
 

🌿 Episode 256 – Lessons from Spiderwort and Crooked Trees
 

🌿 Episode 257 – Love Lovage: Treasures at Well-Sweep Herb Farm

🌿 Episode 28 – No-Till Gardening with Patti Doell of Little Big Farm

Connect with Mary Stone

Visit: AskMaryStone.com

Garden Dilemmas? [email protected] 

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

On a humid morning after a much-needed rain, Mary Stone reflects on the celebration of the life of legendary New Jersey gardener and friend Marty Carson.

From stories of children helping to prepare the gardens to the remarkable tale of the Dove Tree (also known as the Handkerchief Tree) to an unexpected gift from Marty's son, this episode explores how gardens teach us to notice beauty, kindness, and one another.

Though beloved gardeners may pass, the gardens they create—and the lives they touch—continue to bloom.

Link to the Companion Post: The Gift of Noticing: A Dove Tree That Didn’t Bloom

Mentioned in this episode:

🌿   The Two Best Gardeners of the Garden State -Blog Post (June 8, 2017)

🌿   Extraordinary Gardeners, Extraordinary Plants - Blog Post (June 18, 2018)

🌿 Episode 25 - Baobab Tree of Life: Growing Kindness

Quote from this episode:

"The Dove Trees didn't bloom this year. But they will. Gardens bloom again. Kindness blooms again. Love blooms again."

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

A visit to Well-Sweep Herb Farm in Warren County, New Jersey, leads to unexpected discoveries both in the garden and in life.

 Mary Stone shares highlights from a tour with third-generation grower Patrick McDuffee, explores the beauty and lore of herbs such as Plantain, Scented Geraniums, Jewelweed, and Lovage, and reflects on the treasures often hidden in plain sight.

Back home, a thriving 'Jethro Tull' Coreopsis, gifted to her years ago by her dear friend Marty Carson, becomes a poignant reminder that love, friendship, and the lessons gathered along the way continue to bloom long after people leave our lives.

In This Episode

🌿 Touring Well-Sweep Herb Farm with Patrick McDuffee
 🌿 Discovering the beauty of lovage
 🌿 Plantain, jewelweed, and other herbal treasures
 🌿 Native plants and Venus flytraps
 🌿 Remembering Marty Carson through a blooming coreopsis
 🌿 Finding unexpected treasures in the Garden of Life

Link to the Companion Blog Post:  Love, Lovage & Treasures at Well-Sweep Farm

Thank you for joining me in the Garden of Life. 🌿💛

Related Episodes & Links

• Episode 217: Moth Surveying in a New Jersey Mountain Meadow 
• Episode 157: Benefits of Plantain & Dandelions
• Episode 20: Unexpected Furry Messenger – Father John’s Memorial Garden  
• Well-Sweep Herb Farm: https://wellsweep.com 

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

Join Mary Stone as she reflects on Spiderwort, a native plant growing in the wrong place; a conversation with a dear client; the wisdom of the song "Crooked Tree"; and a reminder that what appears flawed or out of place may have a purpose we cannot yet see.

Along the way, Mary shares a brief update on her vegetable garden, a surprising use for carrot greens, and a favorite story from The Lesson of the Leaf about a beech leaf that landed on her shoulder just when she needed it most.

Link to the Related Blog Post: Lessons from Spiderwort and Crooked Trees

In this episode:

• When Spiderwort becomes too much of a good thing 
• Why a troublesome plant may be exactly right somewhere else 
• The wisdom behind the song Crooked Tree 

"Spiderwort doesn't belong everywhere. But it belongs somewhere."

Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life. 🌿🍃🌳

Related Podcasts and Posts: 

The Fall of the Leaf – Blog Post about the Prologue to The Lesson of the Leaf

Ep 83. The Fall of the Leaf

Growing Belonging in the Garden of Life - Blog 

Ep 255 - Growing Belonging in the Garden of Life

Link to Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway’s song - Crooked Tree

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 an unexpected realization that emerged while revising her book proposal for The Lesson of the Leaf to Hay House Publishing. Along the way, she reflects on belonging, commitment, the wisdom of gardens, and the connections that sustain us through every season of life. 

Plus, a garden update featuring radishes, sunflowers, clover, and a reminder that growth often happens beneath the shelter of something larger than ourselves.

Thanks for tuning in! 

Link to Companion Post: Growing Belonging in the Garden of Life

Links to related Episodes and Blog Posts: 

Forest Bathing Helps Loneliness - Blog Post

Ep 34. Forest Bathing, Willowwood Champion Trees

Overview of the Lesson of the Leaf– Blog Post 

Ep 180 Overview of the Lesson of the Leaf

Thanks for listening and sharing in 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