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 Posts:

• Meeting the Tree of Life
• When Autumn Arrives Early — Letting Go and Beginning Again

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

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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