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ljmarkson
Sep 13, 20212 min read
Boneset is a Thoroughly Valuable Native Plant
My September native plant pick #4 is common boneset (eupatorium perfoliatum), also called thoroughwort because of the way the stems go...


ljmarkson
Sep 8, 20212 min read
Native Climbing Boneset is Loved By Pollinators!
My #3 September native plant pick is a rambling perennial vine I've only noticed growing at a nearby nature park in my intown Atlanta...


ljmarkson
Sep 4, 20212 min read
Frog Fruit Is a Valuable Native Groundcover!
My September native plant pick #2 is a fantastic low-growing, semi-evergreen groundcover called frog fruit (phyla nodiflora, formerly...


ljmarkson
Aug 17, 20213 min read
Help Our Insects By Participating in the Great Georgia Pollinator Census 2021!
I want to encourage everyone to set aside 15 minutes this Friday, August 20 or Saturday, August 21 to participate in the Great Georgia...


ljmarkson
Apr 2, 20213 min read
Add Purple-Hued Spring Native Plants to Your Naturescape
Getting people to slow down and appreciate the often nuanced and diminutive delightfulness of native plant flowers, particularly in...


ljmarkson
Mar 22, 20212 min read
You Can Only Have a Native Violet Bouquet if You Grow It
Non-native roses are widely admired. Native violet’s value is underestimated. But if you grow violets in your yard. Nature will be...


ljmarkson
Feb 23, 20216 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 5, 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
Jan 10, 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 5, 20214 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
Dec 31, 20202 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
Nov 24, 20202 min read
Nature's Perfect Harmony: Native Purple Passionflower Vine and Gulf Fritillary Butterflies
There’s a fascinating phenomenon I've noticed but haven't specifically read about between native purple passionflower vines (passiflora...


ljmarkson
Nov 23, 20201 min read
The Ticket to a Front Row Seat Watching Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar's Become Butterflies
Or Why Pollinator Gardens Need Native Host Plants The people who tell me their pollinator garden doesn't need native plants invariably...


ljmarkson
Nov 22, 20202 min read
The Very Hungry Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar - From Youthful Defoliation to Chrysalis
Watching generations of gulf fritillary caterpillars go through multiple stages as they defoliate the native passionflower vines...


ljmarkson
Nov 21, 20201 min read
The Very Hungry Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar – From Egg to Baby Caterpillar
One benefit of creating a wildlife habitat in my yard is I get too see the wonder of nature up close throughout the year. I never tire of...


ljmarkson
Nov 20, 20202 min read
Saving the Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars One by One
When I went to my community garden last month my friend Pat rushed by me with a handful of gulf fritillary caterpillars (cats) crawling...


ljmarkson
Nov 16, 20202 min read
Purple Passionflower Vine is a Carefree Native Alternative to Invasive Vines
Let me tell you why... An easy way to nurture native nature is to replace invasive vines such as English ivy or Chinese wisteria with the...
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