Garden Dilemmas, Delights & Discoveries

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. 🌿🐾
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

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

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

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

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