Ep 238. Hope Takes the Form of a Tree

In this episode, Mary Stone reflects on the quiet wisdom of trees after receiving the New Jersey Tree Survey from the Arbor Day Foundation. She explores how trees support mental and emotional well-being, the realities behind tree-planting campaigns, and the value of nurturing growth over time. 

A flashback to a fallen Eastern Hemlock and a thriving young beech offers a gentle reminder that even after loss, new life emerges. Hope, it turns out, sometimes takes the form of a tree.

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Related Episodes and Posts: 

Ep 130. A Pet Painted Turtle, Beech Leaf Disease

Worrisome Beech Leaf Disease – Blog Post

Ep 45. Beloved Mr. Beech

Beloved Beech Trees – 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
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Transcript

 Ep 238. Hope in the Form of a Tree

Sat, Jan 17, 2026 8:18PM • 12:09

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

New Jersey tree survey, Arbor Day Foundation, mental health, community well-being, Norway spruce, native trees, tree planting, forestry programs, Charity Navigator, tree benefits, tree restoration, seasonal transitions, tree growth, environmental conservation, garden dilemmas.

SPEAKERS

Mary Stone

Mary Stone  00:00

Mary, Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I'm Mary Stone, and 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 learn 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. 

Mary Stone  00:25

Hello there. It's Mary stone on a very cold, freezing screen porch. I must say, it shocked me a little bit. I was out doing some garden cleanup here in January, and I had to come back and put on some extra layers. I want to thank those who reached back after our last chat, Roofs to Roots Reviving House Plants. I tuned into it just before sitting with you. And sometimes when I listen to these conversations afterward, it feels as though the words didn't come from me. It may seem odd to some of you, but sometimes I'm not sure they really do. They come from my observations in nature, in gardens, and the wisdom gained from witnessing the natural cycle of things. Then life gets in the way, and we tend to lose sight of these lessons, these wisdoms, until some delight or discovery shows up to remind us to revisit the ideas. I'm so grateful for that. I've mentioned before how our visits have become part of my own growth, and I'm so grateful for that too, for your participation in this journey together in the Garden of Life. So on to this week's story. 

Mary Stone  01:36

I recently received the 2026 New Jersey tree survey in the mail. It always is a treat and a bit ironic. It's a large printed document, and it's about saving trees, but it's delivered on paper that comes from trees, so that does seem a little ironic, but receiving it brought me back to a story I wrote long ago about the Arbor Day Foundation, which is worth a revisit with updates, and it starts like this, Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, receiving the New Jersey tree survey always makes me smile and reflect. It arrives looking official, suggesting important research about our forests, but it is really a friendly fundraising letter from the Arbor Day Foundation. Over the years, their messaging has evolved what once felt like a demographic questionnaire, now highlights something I genuinely appreciate, how trees support our mental health and community well-being, provide wildlife habitat, and contribute to clean air and water while offering beauty and shade. The letter also creates a sense of being chosen, with a small percentage of residents invited to participate. Yes, it's a marketing tactic, but it feels special, followed quickly by gentle urgency: return this survey in 10 days with a donation to receive free trees and other gifts.

Mary Stone  03:04

 It's a fundraiser in disguise, but one rooted in a cause I believe in. Behind the marketing, there is truth. Trees matter, and they matter deeply. I smiled at some of the survey questions: Do trees reduce stress, improve mood, inspire creativity, encourage mindfulness? Of course they do. I can't imagine many checking the box that says trees have no impact on well-being. One free gift offered is 10 fast-growing Norway spruce. Norway spruce is not native here. They're native in northern, central, and eastern Europe, including Scandinavia, the Alps, and beyond into Russia. But they thrive in the cool, moist areas across North America to the point that they are considered invasive, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, where they outcompete native plants. And while I wish they had offered some native trees, such as the hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Still, they do have value. These evergreens provide year-round shelter for birds. They act as windbreaks, absorb carbon, create privacy screens, and are fast-growing, as Arbor Day mentioned.

Mary Stone  04:21

 When I drive towards Newton, New Jersey, the county seat of nearby Sussex County, there is a commanding house with a massive front lawn where there are tiny little spruce trees all lined up like little soldiers in several rows. They look so contrived, but the owners mow carefully around them, so I know they love their little trees. I believe they came from the Arbor Day Foundation, and they will grow into a screen from their busy road in front of them. Besides Norway spruce, are popular Christmas trees that can be repurposed, as we discussed a few weeks ago, to return to the earth once again, a. Full Circle of usefulness. 

Mary Stone  05:01

The updated survey questions are actually thoughtful. They ask whether engaging with trees in green spaces reduces stress, improves mood, clears the mind, fosters gratitude or serves as a therapeutic escape. They ask whether you consider yourself someone who takes the action to preserve trees and the environment, they ask what you value most about trees, beauty, shade, habitat, water filtration, food, if you're growing fruit trees, climate resilience, and mental well-being. I can't imagine meeting anyone who would check the box that says there's nothing I value about trees? Can you? No, I don't think you could, right? Trees are gorgeous. Trees are purposeful. Trees belong. 

Mary Stone  05:49

And then there is the consideration of evaluating the effectiveness of charitable organizations that can be daunting. I always thought there was a common rule of thumb that we want to be sure that an organization spends 85% or more on what services they provide and a much smaller portion on administration and fundraising. According to the independent nonprofit evaluators like Charity Navigator, the Arbor Day Foundation's most recent filings show that a substantial portion of its expenses is directed towards its core mission of tree planting and forestry programs. However, the percentage spent on programs versus fundraising and management reflects the wide range of activities that the organization undertakes. That's a lot of words for the fact that indeed they do spend quite a bit on the expenses of fundraising, but it's ranked very high as an organization that is doing good deeds, and notably, their finances are transparent as a 501, c3, non-profit. That means that donations are tax-deductible, unlike other well-known conservation groups.

Mary Stone  07:01

But I'm not promoting the membership to the Arbor Day Foundation, per se. I am promoting planting and nurturing trees even when leafless, their roots are working hard, preparing for the next season of growth, helping to purify and protect our world.  Garden dilemmas? Ask Mary Stone.com.

Mary Stone  07:24

Indeed, my connection with trees has always been personal, even spiritual. It brings to mind another story shared years ago, talking to trees on Arbor Day. Allow me to share another flashback and bits of the story with updates. If you don't mind, Arbor Day occurs worldwide at different times of the year based on the growing season. In the United States, it is celebrated last Friday in April. The origin of Arbor Day dates back to 1872, when J Sterling Morton spearheaded the planting of a million trees in Nebraska. I recently came across a quote by Mike Dooley. You can always tell an old soul by how friendly they are to trees. I've always been drawn to walking amongst the trees, and yes, I've hugged more than a few quit giggling until you give it a try. 

There was a sad fate of an old Eastern Hemlock I adore here in my woods, it was years ago after a nor'easter took down a bunch of trees in a series, my neighbor came down with his chainsaw to help tend to the fallen hemlock. His theory was, if he cut the 30-inch diameter trunk, chest high, the enormous root ball would flap back down to earth, and flat back it did, thunderously and a cloud of dust. Though I wasn't there to witness the scene. There's a photo on the post, though, where I'm standing, where the hemlock fell, and the root ball of this thing is enormous, way above my head. I'll be sure there's a link in the show notes. With great reverence, I brushed away the sawdust reveal the rings of the glorious tree, shallow rooted in shale near Jacksonburg Creek where we live, it was close to 200 years old. Eastern Hemlock is the state tree of Pennsylvania. According to the USDA, they are slow growing, taking 250 to 300 years to reach maturity, and many lived for 900 years, while the sacred Hemlock didn't reach full maturity, a young beech tree growing beside it rebounded into place on the flap from the fallen tree with the promise of new life, and here we are, eight years later, the young Beech is now six inches in caliber. So far, it has been spared from beach leaf disease spreading through our region, as I shared in Episode 130, I also adore the story about Mr. Beach, my beloved Mr. Beach in Episode 45 I invite you to tune into both of these episodes, and I will put a link in the show.

Mary Stone  10:01

Notes, trees have taught me that growth is rarely urgent. Roots work quietly, long before branches show change. Forests heal slowly. Seasons arrive in their own time, even when leafless life prepares its subsequent unfolding. Perhaps that's the greatest lesson of all, to trust what we cannot see, to remember that beneath uncertainty, beneath noise, beneath fear, something steady is still growing. I treasure trees. I treasure your companionship in this garden of life. And I hope today's stories remind you, as they remind me, that hope sometimes takes the form of a tree. So, thanks for coming by. I always appreciate our time together, especially given what's been going on in my personal journey of transition. I've mentioned before. Life is about transitions, and trees transition from season to season. That fallen Hemlock, which broke my heart, has now brought new life with that beech tree in its place. And I look around at the trees that fell around it, there were hundreds of trees that fell in that storm in this area. And it's amazing to see how the forest is restoring itself, slowly but surely, as nature intends it to be. I look forward to every visit we have together, learning and growing in this garden of life, and so appreciate you passing the podcast forward to your friends and family so more can join us. Look forward to next time on the screen porch. Have a beautiful day. You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook, online at GardenDilemmas.com, and on Instagram at the hashtag. Mary Elaine stone, Garden Dilemmas, Delights and Discoveries, is produced by Alex Bartling. Thanks for coming by. I look forward to chatting again from my screen porch and always remember to embrace the unexpected in this garden of life. Have a great day.