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All Blog Posts
Ways to Add Water for Wildlife to Your Yard
I didn’t always have over a dozen water sources in my intown (Morningside) Atlanta yard. Back in 2019 when I went through the process to...
ljmarkson
Jul 30, 20237 min read
Why You Need to Remove Invasive Plants from Your Yard
I like to boast that there are no weeds in my rewilded yard – meaning there are no plants I don’t want growing in it. Some of my favorite...
ljmarkson
Jul 16, 20234 min read
Container Gardening for Biodiversity and Habitat
Using native plants in container gardens is a low maintenance and sustainable way to add biodiversity and create habitat in small spaces...
ljmarkson
Jul 2, 20234 min read
Native Pasture Thistle Drama
Last fall a thoughtful friend who somehow remembered my ongoing plant wish list brought me a native pasture/field thistle (Cirsium...
ljmarkson
Jun 18, 20234 min read
Native Plants as Edging Plants
In the spring I’m often outside adding, moving, editing, and potting up plants until it’s so dark outside that I can’t see my hands. I’m...
ljmarkson
Apr 28, 20233 min read
Spring 2023 - Atlanta Native Plant Nurseries & Plant Sales
It’s the time of year for native plant fans to visit local native plant nurseries, pop-up seasonal sales, and plant swaps. I’ve written...
ljmarkson
Apr 4, 20235 min read
The Native Carolina Cherry Laurel Controversy
I recently watched a small flock of hungry cedar waxwings eat what berries (drupes) previous birds missed on my now blooming Carolina...
ljmarkson
Mar 14, 20234 min read
Children Care Deeply About Protecting Nature - Let's Nurture This
We pulled into our driveway from an outing and there was a mother with her 7-or 8-year-old daughter at our front door. The little girl...
ljmarkson
Mar 5, 20233 min read
Yard Restoration and the Battle to Remove Invasive and Non-native Plants
I often go outside to work in my yard with a plan of action yet end up doing something completely different. Recently, my idea was to...
ljmarkson
Feb 18, 20233 min read
Reclaim Nature and Add Habitat with a Brush Pile
I’ve tried to maximize the edge areas of my small, semi-urban, rewilded yard by tucking away a few brush piles behind shrubs and trees to...
ljmarkson
Nov 30, 20225 min read
Grow a Native Buckeye Tree from Seed
Several of the multiple buckeye species that grow in North America are native to Georgia. Bottlebrush buckeye is native to Alabama,...
ljmarkson
Nov 22, 20224 min read
To Save Insects and Birds the Future is Now
It turned out to be a great idea for the Intown Atlanta Chapter of the Georgia native Plant Society to squeeze one more event into this...
ljmarkson
Nov 18, 20223 min read
Add Coreopsis Integrifolia to the Home Landscape
There are over two dozen coreopsis varieties in North American on BONAP and twenty grow in Georgia. Coreopsis integrifolia also known as...
ljmarkson
Nov 9, 20222 min read
A Dead Tree Branch Story
Last month I happened to notice a dead branch on a large pine tree in my front yard. Through my binoculars I could see a huge 20 or so...
ljmarkson
Nov 3, 20223 min read
Counting Pollinators and Making Connections at Pollinator Picnics
On August 20 people of all ages counted pollinators and helped highlight the importance of native plants as a host, habitat and nectar...
ljmarkson
Aug 28, 20221 min read
Just Say No to Spring Backyard Habitat Destruction
There were no happy birds in my yard on a warm spring day last week. On Friday I watched them flitting around my neighbor’s yard...
ljmarkson
Mar 6, 20225 min read
Winter Sowing Native Liatris Spicata for a Mini Nature Center
My friend Rita from Botany Yards generously gave me native plant seeds to put in my mini-nature center. I wondered how to ensure success...
ljmarkson
Feb 20, 20222 min read
Winter Sowing Tips for Native Plant Seedlings
Last spring, I meant to write a native plant seedling update to my winter sowing posts. I even made notes, but never actually wrote the...
ljmarkson
Feb 2, 20225 min read
Native Plants to Winter Sow for Summer Blooms This Year
I thought I was done winter sowing in the first week of January when I planted 100 different native plant seeds and put the trays outside...
ljmarkson
Jan 23, 20227 min read
Update on My Mini Nature Center
I appreciate how social media can connect me to so many like-minded people who are also working to restore nature where they live. It’s...
ljmarkson
Nov 19, 20215 min read
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