top of page
All Blog Posts


Why and How to Support Brown Thrasher Habitat With Shrubs!
What we do in our yard matters to wildlife. Brown thrashers are the Georgia State Bird yet have declined 40% in the last 50 years . They need dense shrubs for cover, shelter, and to build their nests which are rarely higher than 7 feet off the ground . Every year brown thrasher babies are born in my neighbor’s shrub border that runs the length of my driveway just feet from the property line. The row is a mix of non-native shrubs that don't support the native insects that are

ljmarkson
Jan 3010 min read


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


Say Goodbye to Kousa Dogwood and Hello to (Native) Chickasaw Plum
Half my Chickasaw plum tree ( Prunus angustifolia ) died last winter and the other half doesn’t seem at all affected so I’m just letting...

ljmarkson
Aug 24, 20254 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


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


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


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


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


Make Your Yard a Safe Hummingbird Habitat!
Like everyone else who eagerly anticipates their arrival, I’m checking out my yard every day looking for my first “hummer” of the...

ljmarkson
Mar 30, 20248 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
bottom of page
.jpg)
