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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
Oct 1, 20245 min read


Connecting the Dots: Southern Pink Moths, Native Lyreleaf Sage, and Pesticides
When we create a safe and welcoming wildlife habitat, we are also supporting the natural cycles and systems we may not even be aware...

ljmarkson
Sep 3, 20245 min read


Nurture Native Nature Fall 2024 Events!
We still have plenty of hot days ahead, but all the hummingbird action and our tired rewilded yards are telling us summer is winding...

ljmarkson
Aug 22, 20244 min read


Gardening with Nature at the Garden Club
This week I spoke to my first ladies garden club. I was a bit worried about how receptive they would be to my presentation called...

ljmarkson
Aug 17, 20245 min read


Native Partridge Pea and Invasive Chamberbitter Look Similar yet are Worlds Apart
(and how to tell the difference...) Partridge Pea is native to most of the Eastern half of the United States and supports habitat in a...

ljmarkson
Jul 23, 20244 min read


Native Evening Primrose as a Habitat Support Plant
In an ecologically focused landscape, common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) is an example of a native plant that offers habitat...

ljmarkson
Jul 14, 20246 min read


Why Dyed Mulch is Ecologically Problematic
It’s not your imagination that dyed mulch is covering your neighborhood. It's been around for 60 years, but the dyed mulch market has...

ljmarkson
Jun 23, 20246 min read


Free Atlanta Event Alert for June 1 - Essential Habitat Elements in a Rewilded Yard Hosted by North Metro GNPS
I’m honored and excited to have the North Metro Atlanta Georgia Native Plant Society host me on Saturday, June 1 from 10:30-12:30 to...

ljmarkson
May 10, 20241 min read


Native Plants are Not Yard Ornaments
The transition from ornamental gardening (plants as ornaments) to ecological gardening (native plants as a functional part of an...

ljmarkson
Apr 21, 20246 min read


Nurture Native Nature - Spring Habitat Yard Events!
I'm sharing spring events Nurture Native Nature is hosting or cohosting in the next few months in Atlanta. At some point I need to figure...

ljmarkson
Mar 19, 20243 min read


Fig Ivy Doesn't Belong in a Habitat Yard!
(Or How Every Yard is an Opportunity to Restore Habitat) When we moved to Atlanta 20 years ago, we thought the fig ivy growing on our 75...

ljmarkson
Feb 22, 20243 min read


How to Make a Wildlife Container Pond
If we want to consider the ecological function of our yard, a water source is a foundational habitat element. Bird baths and other shallow containers are the most basic ways to support wildlife, but adding a self-sustaining above ground wildlife container pond is an easy way to increase biodiversity by offering food and shelter in addition to water. Container ponds designed for habitat seem to be more popular in the U.K . than the U.S. where water features are usually orname

ljmarkson
Jan 23, 202417 min read


Restore Habitat to Hear the Sweet Song of the Hermit Thrush
Every habitat element in my pocket wildlife sanctuary contributes to a more biodiverse ecosystem. Hermit thrushes for example rarely...

ljmarkson
Jan 7, 20243 min read


Be Part of the Habitat Warrior Community!
A year ago, I overcame a lifelong fear of public speaking so I could expand my efforts to help nature. My daughter the graphic designer...

ljmarkson
Jan 2, 20244 min read


Attend a Native Plant Seed Swap!
Native plants are a cornerstone of creating a habitat-friendly, sustainable yard for wildlife. They offer food, shelter, coverage,...

ljmarkson
Nov 21, 20233 min read


Be an Advocate for Nature By Sharing What You Know
I try to go out of my comfort zone and share information in online neighborhood groups where the focus is rarely on creating a wildlife...

ljmarkson
Oct 24, 20235 min read


Nature Loving Strangers are Kindred Spirits
I was recently looking through my lengthy list of ongoing blog ideas and catchy titles for articles yet to be written and came across...

ljmarkson
Oct 9, 20234 min read


The Future Needs More Violets and Fewer Lawns
I stopped to chat with an elderly neighbor who had just finished weeding her hosta beds. She showed me healthy violet patches growing in...

ljmarkson
Sep 23, 20234 min read


A Day Focused on Restoring Biodiversity in our Own Greenspaces
At the recent Georgia Audubon’s cleverly named Georgia Grows Native for Birds Round Robin: Transforming Your Greenspace, they partnered...

ljmarkson
Sep 11, 20233 min read
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