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Plant a Wildlife Container Garden!
Wildlife container gardens support biodiversity where planting in the ground is not an option. They support wildlife habitat on apartment or townhouse balconies, courtyards, stoops, or patios, and can be an extension of a yard on porches, patios, decks or even driveways. I've added wildlife container gardens just about everywhere I don't have soil! The landing at the bottom of my front steps has a handful of large ceramic pots I’ve been gifted over the years filled with a mi

ljmarkson
Nov 21, 20259 min read


Coexist with Wildlife this Halloween!
Most folks don’t consider wildlife when altering outdoor spaces which makes October a horror show when it comes to dangerous decorations. Great care was taken to create this fantastically ghoulish yard display for Halloween for folks passing by. Yet there was no thought about how wildlife might interact with it. This yard happens to be is across the street from a 33-acre nature preserve and next to a power line right-of-way. Wildlife may have trouble with the fake spider webb

ljmarkson
Oct 27, 20259 min read


Atlanta Free Event Alert: Decomposition - Natural Matter Matters!
If you’re in Atlanta, please join me on October 11 from 10am-noon at Lost Corner Preserve for a brand-new presentation I'm excited to...

ljmarkson
Oct 6, 20251 min read


Let the Squirrel Cross the Road!
Letting squirrels cross the street is the compassionate thing to do, and possible if we know why they zigzag and what to do to avoid hitting them.

ljmarkson
Aug 30, 20256 min read


Rewilding for a Greener Yard
A friend told me her family noticed that she once gardened for color and now her rewilded garden is mostly green. This observation is not...

ljmarkson
Aug 20, 20257 min read


What to do About Joro Spiders?
This is the first year I’m seeing the invasive Joro spiders in my little habitat yard and I’m exploring what to do. They are originally...

ljmarkson
Aug 7, 20255 min read


Changing the Landscape for Nature is Worth the Discomfort
There's a big difference between having a static traditionally landscaped yard where maintaining the same look is the goal, and a dynamic...

ljmarkson
Jun 18, 20256 min read


Break the Biophobia Fear Loop with Nature Exposure
I’ve been gardening most of my adult life and have only been stung a few times. Insects just want to go about their business and unless I...

ljmarkson
Jun 3, 20256 min read


Free Atlanta Event Alert for May 18 - The Habitat Friendly HOA Yard
On Sunday, May 18 from 2-4 the Georgia Native Plant Society – North Metro Atlanta Chapter and the Georgia Native Plant Society are...

ljmarkson
May 17, 20253 min read


Non-Gardeners Can Nurture a Habitat Yard
Every wildlife friendly yard contributes to changing the landscape culture. The more rewilded yards there are the more accepted an...

ljmarkson
May 11, 20257 min read


Combine Personal Experiences, Stories, and Facts to Warn About Pesticide Harm
My excitement for the sweet little bluebird couple nesting in a box in my front yard is tempered by the ritualistic spring habitat...

ljmarkson
Apr 17, 20257 min read


Event Alert: Essential Ecological Elements of a Habitat Yard on April 5
If you're in Atlanta, join me Saturday, April 5 From 11am-1pm when I'll be speaking about Essential Ecological Elements of a Habitat Yard...

ljmarkson
Apr 4, 20251 min read


Plant Native Vines for Birds to Nest In
We don’t often think of vines as a place for birds to nest. Yet some of our favorite songbirds are looking for exactly the kind of plant...

ljmarkson
Mar 21, 20255 min read


What We Do in Our Own Yard Matters
What we do in our own yard matters. Yet, there is often a disconnect between local ecology and political environmentalism. Its as if...

ljmarkson
Mar 10, 20255 min read


American Mistletoe Supports Nature Throughout the Year
The abundant mistletoe growing around my Atlanta neighborhood is most likely American mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum). A friend told...

ljmarkson
Dec 25, 20243 min read


Ideas for Gifting a Connection to Nature
For my annual nature inspired gift list, I try to think of not so obvious but always welcome ideas. I turn to items and experiences I am...

ljmarkson
Dec 12, 202413 min read


Nature Doesn't Create Trash
When we moved to our home 20 years ago our yard looked like all the other yards in my upscale neighborhood centered by a lawn and...

ljmarkson
Dec 8, 20248 min read


Giving Locally to Nature on Giving Tuesday
On giving Tuesday, you can get a jump on this giving season by donating to a worthy organization that is helping nature in some way....

ljmarkson
Dec 4, 20244 min read


Reframing Cues to Care for a Rewilded Yard
A service person recently showed up for a non-essential task that would involve a significant disruption to my rewilded yard. He put his...

ljmarkson
Oct 13, 202413 min read


Supporting Wildlife Habitat Where we Live is Not a New Idea
When decluttering a closet recently, I found a time capsule in the form of a garden journal I made in the early 90s. The last entry was...

ljmarkson
Sep 30, 20245 min read
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