What looked like a renovation in the making, the Children's Garden at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden became a reminder of childhood adventures in nature. Mary Stone recalls climbing trees, building firewood forts, and growing up with a dad who worked in the space program—when Tang was the drink of astronauts.

From Longwood Gardens to pinecone angels and miniature terrariums, discover how nature's treasures inspire imagination at any age. Plus, a fun update on Susan's battle with Japanese knotweed.

Related Stories & Episodes

Fairchild & Autumn Reflections

Ep 271 – Meeting the Tree of Life & When Autumn Comes Early |

Blog Posts: Meeting the Tree of Life | When Autumn Arrives Early

Childhood Memories – Blog Posts

Mary Stone's Brief Bio | Mom Jackson's Garden

Miniature Gardens

Ep 144 – Festive Partridge Berry–Terrarium Basics |

Blog Post: Terrariums – A Mini Gardening Warmup | Festive Partridge Berry

Knotweed Update

Ep 270 – To Weed or Not Weed Knotweed

Blog Post: To Weed or Not to Weed Knotweed?

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 family visit to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Florida brings Mary Stone face-to-face with a much-adored baobab, known as the Tree of Life. Along the way, she discovers colorful tropical plants, a reluctant butterfly, and a touching reminder of how her mother's love of gardening continues to grow.

Back home, Mary's beloved sugar maple is shedding leaves weeks ahead of schedule, while a seemingly lifeless baby tuliptree offers a surprise. She explores how drought stress affects trees, why lichen and moss are harmless companions, and the benefits of turning fallen leaves into leaf mold – far better than mulch.

Holding on. Letting go. Beginning again.

Sometimes growth is happening beneath the surface, even when we cannot see it. The same is true in our Garden of Life.

Link to the Companion Post:

When Autumn Arrives Early — Letting Go and Beginning Again (Link to come)

Links to Related Episodes and Blog Posts You'll Enjoy:

Episode 270 — To Weed or Not to Weed Knotweed?

Read the companion story.

Episode 61 — A Story of Treasured Tuliptrees

Read A Story of Treasured Tuliptrees

• Link to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden — For listeners curious about the garden's history and Dr. David Fairchild.

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

To weed or not to weed knotweed? An afternoon of weeding in a client's garden leads Mary to an unexpected dilemma—and a deeper dive into this beautiful but notoriously difficult invasive plant.

Mary Stone revisits her first encounter with Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)) as one of September's roadside beauties and her neighbor Susan's success in eradicating a colony through persistent pulling. She explores what the research says about nonchemical management, herbicide treatment, and concerns about knotweed damaging homes.

As often happens in the garden, sometimes answers are complicated. And sometimes our dilemmas invite us to remain curious, learn from one another, and grow from our mistakes—the same is true in our Garden of Life.

Connect with Mary Stone
Visit: AskMaryStone.com
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com

Thank you for listening and for sharing the Garden of Life. 🌻

Related stories and episodes:

• September Roadside Beauties - Blog Post September 2018

• Knotweed Meets Crown Vetch / the story of Susan tackling Japanese knotweed, June 2022. Also featured in Episode 62 - Rethinking Weeds & Invasive Plants

Nighttime Chorus of Garden Insects - Blog Post

Episode 177 - Nighttime Chorus of Garden Insects

Weeding Mugwort – Picking up Litter - July 2022

Also featured in Episode 18 - Walking & Plalking, Queens & Bachelors

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