Ep 254 - Leave Room for Wandering: Unexpected Greenhouse Treasures

In this episode, Mary Stone shares a spring greenhouse adventure that begins with shopping for annuals and vegetables and turns into a delightful journey of unexpected discoveries.

Along the way, she reflects on a bear emerging from a patch of skunk cabbage, bird nests tucked among flowering shrubs, a mysterious hornet visitor, and the wisdom that can emerge when we leave room for wandering.

Mary also offers practical tips for selecting healthy annuals and creating beautiful kitchen gardens filled with flowers, herbs, and vegetables.

Perhaps one of life's greatest lessons is this: some of the best treasures are found when we venture beyond what we originally came looking for.

Special thanks to Steve Oken and Stonehedge Growers for inspiring this week's greenhouse wanderings and introducing me to some unexpected treasures.

Companion Blog Post: Leave Room for Wandering: Unexpected Greenhouse Treasures 

Previous Podcast Episodes:
Ep 251 – Healing Beneath the Mayapple: Skunk Cabbage Wisdom

Ep 94 - Starting an Organic Garden & DIY Soil Testing

Ep 28 - Three Sisters, No-Till Gardening

Ep 149 - Straw Bale Gardening Builds Community

Related Blog Posts:

Starting an Organic Garden 

Straw Bale Gardening Builds Community

Starting a No-till Garden 

Old Farmer's Almanac Planting Calendar:
https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar

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

Transcript

Ep 254 - Leave Room for Wandering: Unexpected Greenhouse Treasures

Sat, May 30, 2026 5:35PM • 14:09

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Garden Dilemmas, nature inspirations, skunk cabbage, European hornet, bird nests, pruning, vegetable gardens, annuals, Stone Hedge Growers, Malabar spinach, Cuban oregano, kitchen gardens, plant compatibility, produce abuse, garden lessons.

SPEAKERS

Speaker 1, Mary Stone

 Mary Stone  00:00

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 glorious, sunny, low-humidity tail end of May Day. Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous day it has been. It's now early evening, and I could just linger out here much longer on the screen porch. I slept out here last night, and it was such a delight. I want to thank those of you who reached back after our last chat, healing beneath the May apple skunk cabbage wisdom. It warms my heart to hear how our conversations about gardens and nature help others navigate life, too. I genuinely believe that observing the rhythms of the natural world can help heal and grow our lives, and for that I am deeply grateful. 

Mary Stone  01:08

While walking Jolie this morning, as if perfectly on cue, a bear suddenly rose. I believe it was from a nap. It was in the huge patch of skunk cabbage on the other side of the bridge, crossing Johnsonburg Creek to my home. It startled me a bit, and it made Jolie bark, but he lumbered off peacefully. 

Mary Stone  01:30

Speaking of nature's visitors, I recently had a large wasp or a hornet inside my screen porch, about an inch and a half long, and looking somewhat like an oversized yellow jacket, after doing a bit of research, I think it may have been a European hornet. Their amber brown bodies, striped with yellow, are more colorful than the standard yellow jackets, and they are nocturnal. I found out, unlike most stinging insects, they're also drawn to the porch lights at night, which is why he likely got in here, but the odd thing is there's no holes big enough in the screens for him to fit through. I didn't think so. It's a mystery to me, but within reach of Jolie, I worried she might try to stomp him or catch him in her mouth and get stung. So, I considered attempting a catch and release operation. I also briefly considered the fly swatter, though that made me feel badly. Instead, I chose neither. I let him be, figuring if he found his way in, perhaps he would find his way back out. Then this morning, I found him slowly walking near the foot of the futon, my camp spot, and he seemed so lethargic. So I took a plastic container, placed it over him carefully, slid cardboard underneath, and carried him outside. It's the same technique I used for moths in late summer, when they decide to join me overnight. I put him outside the door here on the screen porch, and he hunkered down as if to, you know, maybe die. I thought, and it made me feel kind of bad, because I thought, gee, I could have helped him sooner. But later, when I checked again, he was gone. Maybe all any of us need sometimes is a little patience, a little shelter, and an open door. 

Mary Stone  03:22

Meanwhile, on bird news, we heard the songs of the cardinal in our last episode. Well, that nest turned out to be tucked into a viburnum, just two shrubs down from the robin's nest. So now there are three birds' nests within a few feet of each other, which is remarkable to me. Three different species getting along side by side. The robin's nest sits right at eye level beside the side garage door, and now there are three fuzzy little chicks that have been born. They're so precious, and Mr. and Mrs. Robin seem comfortable with Jolie and I as we come and go from that door. I had planned to prune the viburnum now that the blooms are fading. Pruning after flowering is standard protocol, but once I saw the female cardinal fly from the shrub, pruning instantly moved lower on the priority list. When tending to your own gardens this season, look carefully before pruning. Someone may be calling a shrub or tree its home. 

Mary Stone  04:20

A few of you also mentioned the balloon analogy we spoke about last time. How we sometimes suppress emotions or difficult experiences more than we realize. That can happen, especially when holding empathy for someone going through tough times. We understand they may be taking their hurt, anxiety, or anger out on us; we tell ourselves it's not personal, but our nervous system and hearts still absorb it. Much like a garden absorbing storm water long after the rain has stopped. Eventually, when we step away from the storm, we often realize how waterlogged the soil of our spirit has become. And holding on to what once was can be like covering tender annuals with sheets night after night, deep into autumn, trying to protect something from frost whose season has naturally come to an end. Sometimes the kindest thing is clearing the garden to make room for new life to emerge, which brings me to this week's garden wanderings, and it starts like this. 

Mary Stone  05:30

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. We are now fully in gear, planting vegetable gardens and adding annuals to flower beds and containers, and believe it or not, I'm actually ahead of myself this year, though I'm not counting my chickens just yet. Ahead of myself, by the way, means I'm on time. I planted snap peas, radishes, beets, and carrot seeds back in mid-April, though truthfully, my own gardens are often the last to be tended. Clients come first, after all. 

Mary Stone  06:00

The old farmers' almanac offers a nifty planting calendar for vegetables and edible annuals, such as marigolds. While many folks consider Mother's Day the safe signal to plant annuals and vegetable starter plants outdoors, I prefer waiting until around May 22 in this zone six that we're in, because remember the surprise two-night frost around Mother's Day a few years ago, it devastated a lot of our soft plants. And if later-seasoned vegetables are planted too early in terms of the seeds before the soil properly warms, the seeds will simply rot before germinating, not a good thing. 

Mary Stone  06:40

I rallied Friday to purchase annuals for a local client, and discovered a grower I never knew existed, tucked right here in our region. Stone Hedge Growers, a wholesale greenhouse operation producing plants since 1997 using natural growing techniques. After delivering all the annuals to my client, I went back in the afternoon and shopped for my own gardens and picked up familiar favorites, including white vinca and some cosmos and blue ageratums, Durango, tangerine, marigolds, and coleus, the bright ruffles with those iconic chartreuse edges that I just love so much. 

Mary Stone  07:20

Then came the dangerous part, wandering. That's when the treasures revealed themselves, thanks to the owner, Steve Okun, who kindly gave me a tour through the sea of greenhouses, while greeting me atop a bicycle. Saving steps, he said, which made me smile as I watched him rally around the sprawling operation. 

Mary Stone  07:41

Steve showed me vegetables I had never heard of and generously gave me a few. There was Malabar spinach, a beautiful edible vine with glossy leaves, often enjoyed in salads or stir-fries. Nearby sat cucuzzi, an Italian heirloom squash, also known as Snake Gourd, already growing with the enthusiasm of Jack's beanstalk. One self-seeded last year and climbed all the way to the top of the pole. Steve said, pointing high overhead to the greenhouse support post. Then came bitter melon, its deeply cut foliage twisting delicately around tendrils, which is admittedly an acquired taste. I forgot what Steve said it tasted like, but I've read some things that may sound a little strange, but we'll see. But it's treasured by many cultures for both culinary and medicinal uses. 

Mary Stone  08:36

Long beans, sometimes called asparagus beans or yard long beans, caught my eye. I can already picture them climbing on rustic supports in the vegetable garden like living green ribbons. I'm so excited about them. Then there was Cuban oregano with thick, velvety leaves carrying the most delicate fragrance somewhere between oregano, thyme, and menthol. One touch and the scent lingered in my hands, instantly making me think of my dear friend Elsa, who immigrated to the United States from Cuba as a young girl.

Mary Stone  09:11

Steve explained he began growing many of these sought-after vegetables to serve ethnic communities in Brooklyn, who remembered growing them in their home countries. There's something deeply beautiful about that. How gardens help preserve culture, memory, and belongings. 

Mary Stone  09:29

Shopping for annuals and vegetables can feel a bit like treasure hunting crossed with impulse control therapy. The frenzy of grabbing carts, swooning over color combinations, and discovering unusual plants can lead even experienced gardeners astray. Over the years, I've learned a few things worth remembering before tossing everything into the wagon. 

Mary Stone  09:52

Rather than choosing plants already in full bloom, select those that are just beginning to flower or are still in bud. Plants that are already investing energy in flowers rather than roots often struggle more after transplanting. Younger plants adapt faster and usually provide a longer season of beauty and harvest. 

Mary Stone  10:13

Speaking of roots, look for the fully developed root systems that are not root-bound.  No slipping plants out of the pots unless invited to by the nursery, though. Determining whether a plant is root-bound is more a matter of feel, kind of like choosing a cantaloupe. Feel the pot's weight relative to its size and give a squeeze to check whether the roots are packed too tightly. 

Mary Stone  10:36

Look for sturdy, well-shaped plants rather than tall, stretched, leggy ones. Healthy foliage matters too. Avoid spotted yellowing or whole riddled leaves that may signal disease or insects hitchhiking home with you. And don't forget compatibility. Plants sharing the same container or garden bed need similar growing conditions. Sun lovers paired with shade lovers rarely have a happy ever after, and nurseries don't always organize plants accordingly. So, read the labels. 

Mary Stone  11:08

Why not mix vegetables and herbs into ornamental gardens and containers? Together, vegetables, herbs, and flowers create abundant spaces full of texture, fragrance, pollinators, and unexpected beauty. Kitchen gardens, also called potagers, may sound fancy, but they're really gardens meant to nourish both body and spirit. And perhaps that's one of life's lessons in the garden, leaving room for wandering, for surprises, and for unexpected treasures waiting just beyond the plans you made or hoped for in your garden of life, and beyond the plants you originally came to buy. Garden dilemmas, askmerystone.com.

Mary Stone  11:56

 You know, the mention of feeling the pot to assess if its root-bound is like choosing a cantaloupe. It makes me think of years to go. I wrote a little piece that was jokingly titled "Produce Abuse." While working at a roadside farm stand as a teenager, I watched shoppers squeeze tomatoes half to death searching for the perfect one. Doug from Race Farm, where I buy produce and starter plants, he said something so funny. He said, If you hear something moving, it's bruising. He also joked that buying produce is not like choosing a spouse. Live on the edge a little and buy the darn tomato, he said. 

Mary Stone  12:33

There may be another little life lesson hidden in there, too. Perfection is overrated in gardens, produce, and people alike. Maybe life becomes richer when we stop gripping so tightly, stop overanalyzing every bruise or blemish, and allow ourselves to wander a little more openly through the season we're given. After all, gardens are never perfect; they're alive, and so are we. 

Mary Stone  13:03

So, thanks for coming by. I always enjoy our time together. It is so lovely, but the wind is kicking in. I think a warm front is coming back. Anyway, I've enjoyed the cool night, and maybe I'll camp out here again. We shall see, but take every day with such glory. Enjoy the special visitors that you come upon, even those wasps that we think could harm us. The poor little guy was quite innocent, and I hope he lived. May we always be kind to nature and to one another in this garden of life. Thanks so much. See you next time. 

Mary Stone  13:39

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook or online at GardenDilemmas.com and on Instagram at 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.