top of page
All Blog Posts
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_e3b9723a3d9849058d41e66576bb12f0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_e3b9723a3d9849058d41e66576bb12f0~mv2.webp)
![Are We Seeing More Birds with Leucism?](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_e3b9723a3d9849058d41e66576bb12f0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_e3b9723a3d9849058d41e66576bb12f0~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Jan 55 min read
Are We Seeing More Birds with Leucism?
Last year I saw a red-winged blackbird with leucism. A month after that I saw a common grackle that might have leucism. Last month, I saw...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_1fcff2e9bb52450590c1b2da605915f1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_1fcff2e9bb52450590c1b2da605915f1~mv2.webp)
![American Mistletoe Supports Nature Throughout the Year](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_1fcff2e9bb52450590c1b2da605915f1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_1fcff2e9bb52450590c1b2da605915f1~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Dec 25, 20243 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_0f545e4a741c4437b590b3832fc0294a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_0f545e4a741c4437b590b3832fc0294a~mv2.webp)
![Nature Doesn't Create Trash](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_0f545e4a741c4437b590b3832fc0294a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_0f545e4a741c4437b590b3832fc0294a~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Dec 8, 20248 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...
![Reframing Cues to Care for a Rewilded Yard](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_27deba368c2b40fea9acb45654e25e1d~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/c0f5a5_27deba368c2b40fea9acb45654e25e1d~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Oct 13, 20249 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_8739b93214ec4df2a8f9b70e2b023bb0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_8739b93214ec4df2a8f9b70e2b023bb0~mv2.webp)
![Supporting Wildlife Habitat Where we Live is Not a New Idea](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_8739b93214ec4df2a8f9b70e2b023bb0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_8739b93214ec4df2a8f9b70e2b023bb0~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Sep 30, 20245 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_4a313cd23d0442109237c9d64b2be54f~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_4a313cd23d0442109237c9d64b2be54f~mv2.webp)
![Connecting the Dots: Southern Pink Moths, Native Lyreleaf Sage, and Pesticides](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_4a313cd23d0442109237c9d64b2be54f~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_4a313cd23d0442109237c9d64b2be54f~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Sep 3, 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...
![Nurture Native Nature Fall 2024 Events!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_a654d7281efc4ed18dcf061a17e8f99b~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/c0f5a5_a654d7281efc4ed18dcf061a17e8f99b~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Aug 22, 20244 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_295d907e016041a4bc4da8c9e286a264~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_295d907e016041a4bc4da8c9e286a264~mv2.webp)
![Gardening with Nature at the Garden Club](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_295d907e016041a4bc4da8c9e286a264~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_295d907e016041a4bc4da8c9e286a264~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Aug 17, 20245 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...
![Native Partridge Pea and Invasive Chamberbitter Look Similar yet are Worlds Apart](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_7a5f7322c0104104a1e4466c454781a8~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/c0f5a5_7a5f7322c0104104a1e4466c454781a8~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Jul 23, 20244 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_e964d3a64a0b48a0801988ee969d2081~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_e964d3a64a0b48a0801988ee969d2081~mv2.webp)
![Native Evening Primrose as a Habitat Support Plant](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_e964d3a64a0b48a0801988ee969d2081~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_e964d3a64a0b48a0801988ee969d2081~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Jul 14, 20246 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_733e7133c47a48bcb5f66af87c0f53d5~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_733e7133c47a48bcb5f66af87c0f53d5~mv2.webp)
![Why Dyed Mulch is Ecologically Problematic](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_733e7133c47a48bcb5f66af87c0f53d5~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_733e7133c47a48bcb5f66af87c0f53d5~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Jun 23, 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...
![Free Atlanta Event Alert for June 1 - Essential Habitat Elements in a Rewilded Yard Hosted by North Metro GNPS](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_857b2e8ad74d4d789a08a4e35dea6030~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/c0f5a5_857b2e8ad74d4d789a08a4e35dea6030~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
May 10, 20241 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...
![Native Plants are Not Yard Ornaments](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_00789d888a5b433e84ab2da08f9ccacd~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_auto/c0f5a5_00789d888a5b433e84ab2da08f9ccacd~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Apr 21, 20246 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_7fd5cc467996492a939b986d9d71e595~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_7fd5cc467996492a939b986d9d71e595~mv2.webp)
![Make Your Yard a Safe Hummingbird Habitat!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_7fd5cc467996492a939b986d9d71e595~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_7fd5cc467996492a939b986d9d71e595~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Mar 30, 20248 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_75d8c83bebe84283b46ba118b24a2d69~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_75d8c83bebe84283b46ba118b24a2d69~mv2.webp)
![Nurture Native Nature - Spring Habitat Yard Events!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_75d8c83bebe84283b46ba118b24a2d69~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_75d8c83bebe84283b46ba118b24a2d69~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Mar 19, 20243 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_11773cfc03274a43807c67c76cbd982b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_11773cfc03274a43807c67c76cbd982b~mv2.webp)
![Fig Ivy Doesn't Belong in a Habitat Yard!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_11773cfc03274a43807c67c76cbd982b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_11773cfc03274a43807c67c76cbd982b~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Feb 22, 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_7d81707415d44ba4b4e842070aefc221~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_7d81707415d44ba4b4e842070aefc221~mv2.webp)
![A Habitat Yard Workshop Offers Actionable Change](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_7d81707415d44ba4b4e842070aefc221~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_7d81707415d44ba4b4e842070aefc221~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Feb 8, 20243 min read
A Habitat Yard Workshop Offers Actionable Change
Last fall I hosted three free habitat yard workshops. My goal was to share actionable ways create a more ecologically sustainably...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_687575a886df43139bac8f73b69fa2f9~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_687575a886df43139bac8f73b69fa2f9~mv2.webp)
![Restore Habitat to Hear the Sweet Song of the Hermit Thrush](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_687575a886df43139bac8f73b69fa2f9~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_687575a886df43139bac8f73b69fa2f9~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Jan 7, 20243 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_eb6df6f5ce3a47f58f7ecb5c60d9f6ec~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_eb6df6f5ce3a47f58f7ecb5c60d9f6ec~mv2.webp)
![Be Part of the Habitat Warrior Community!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_eb6df6f5ce3a47f58f7ecb5c60d9f6ec~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_eb6df6f5ce3a47f58f7ecb5c60d9f6ec~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Jan 2, 20244 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...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_9d0e90246d9b4455b4638b013f8ad394~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/c0f5a5_9d0e90246d9b4455b4638b013f8ad394~mv2.webp)
![The Future Needs More Violets and Fewer Lawns](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c0f5a5_9d0e90246d9b4455b4638b013f8ad394~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/c0f5a5_9d0e90246d9b4455b4638b013f8ad394~mv2.webp)
ljmarkson
Sep 23, 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...
bottom of page