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The Daffodil Dilemma in My Wildlife Sanctuary
In early spring my yard becomes a carpet of naturalized daffodils thanks to the hundreds of bulbs I strategically planted years ago. So...
ljmarkson
Mar 7, 20213 min read


Clean Bird Feeders = Healthy Birds
I don’t want to be the reason a bird gets sick or even dies so I’m diligent about keeping my bird feeders clean. A dirty feeder can host...
ljmarkson
Mar 1, 20214 min read


There's a Certification (or Sign) For Every Kind of Eco-Friendly Yard
Whether you consider your yard a pollinator habitat, native plant habitat, wildlife sanctuary, wildlife habitat, green landscape, native...
ljmarkson
Feb 23, 20216 min read


Reasons to Certify Your Rewilded Yard
In the summer when everything is at their peak countless people walking by smile and warmly thank me for my magical and exuberant yard...
ljmarkson
Feb 17, 20213 min read


The Prime Directive and the Owlet Looper Caterpillar Dilemma
OR Coexisting with nature is as complex as trying to follow Star Trek’s Prime Directive. In anticipation of the first hard freeze back at...
ljmarkson
Feb 11, 20213 min read


Native Wild Strawberry Fields Forever
On the interactive National Wildlife Federation site you can punch in your zip code and learn the top butterfly and moth host plants in...
ljmarkson
Feb 5, 20213 min read


Replace Non-native Shrubs With High Impact Native Shrubs
Rewilding a semi-urban yard to create an eco-friendly sanctuary is more emotional than I anticipated. Almost a year and a half ago after...
ljmarkson
Feb 1, 20213 min read


In My Yard Hellebores are Pernicious Weeds!
OR Why I Anticipate HELLebores Will Eventually Earn a Spot on Georgia’s Exotic Invasive Species List Predicting which non-native plants...
ljmarkson
Jan 27, 20212 min read


Native Plant Winter Sowing FAQs
Winter sowing is so popular and timely that I’ve received a number of questions since my post on the topic. Hopefully by answering the...
ljmarkson
Jan 20, 20215 min read


Native Plant Seeds are Ideal for Winter Sowing
OR Tips for Winter Sowing Native Plant Seeds Using Foil Roasting Pans With Lids. Winter sowing is a way to germinate seeds by mimicking...
ljmarkson
Jan 14, 20213 min read


Plant a Glorious Goldenrod Garden This Year!
OR Do You Think Growing 19 Varieties of Goldenrod is Enough?! I currently have more varieties of goldenrod than any other native plant...
ljmarkson
Jan 10, 20213 min read


Nine Bright and Easy Native Goldenrods to Add to Your Atlanta Naturescape (Natural Landscape)
OR Add Biodiversity to Your Native Plant Habitat with More Goldenrod` OR Can You Ever Really Have Enough Goldenrod? (Edited 12.3.22 to...
ljmarkson
Jan 5, 20214 min read


Why Goldenrod is Native Plant Gold
OR Goldenrod's Many Charms. In my previous post I explain why everyone in the native plant world is talking about goldenrod (solidago). A...
ljmarkson
Dec 31, 20202 min read


Goldenrod (Solidago) is Trending!
OR If You Only Add One Native Plant to Your Yard, Make it Goldenrod! Keystone plant species are what native plant guru Doug Tallamy calls...
ljmarkson
Dec 29, 20202 min read


What Do Pest Control Companies Want to Teach Our Kids?
OR Teach Kids About Butterflies Before Termites. I try hard to focus on positive ways to nurture nature, but when I learn about nature...
ljmarkson
Dec 23, 20202 min read


Can Pest Control Companies Help You Coexist with Nature?
When I found a beautiful spider in the middle of cobwebs on my rarely used garden rake, I started searching the internet to learn more...
ljmarkson
Dec 19, 20202 min read


Triangulate Cobweb Spiders Are Our Friends
OR My Rake Is a Now a Spider Habitat. My rake is used so often that when I recently went to take it out of my gardening storage area it...
ljmarkson
Dec 16, 20202 min read


In Defense of Grasshoppers
OR Without Grasshoppers We Won't Have Birds. On a recent balmy winter day, I walked down a path in my yard and a handful of grasshoppers...
ljmarkson
Dec 12, 20202 min read


I'm An Eco Bag Lady
OR I'm a Naturescape Organic Matter Scavenger Part Two. Much to the embarrassment of my sweet husband, I’m an eco bag lady. When we walk...
ljmarkson
Dec 9, 20203 min read


Pet Cats Do Not Belong in a Wildlife Habitat!
I love cats. The main reason I keep my two rescue cats indoors is because I want them to live an average of 15 long happy years with me....
ljmarkson
Dec 5, 20203 min read
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