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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


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


Local Earth Day Activism Needs to be Every Day
The magical Earth Day event at Zonolite Park organized by hosts Steph Johnson and Josh Wayne raised awareness about protecting the...

ljmarkson
Apr 25, 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 Value of Edible Native Plants in Public Spaces
The woodland restoration efforts at Zonolite Park can be summed up in four words - remove invasives, plant natives. Many native edibles...

ljmarkson
Mar 20, 20235 min read


Influencers Focus on the Positive to Help Protect Nature
January is a great month for reflection and learning. This past weekend I pushed my attention span a bit and spent a looong but...

ljmarkson
Jan 30, 20232 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


Atlanta Area Spring 2022 Native Plant Sales and Nurseries
Spring native plant buying season is here! It’s exciting to see most of the native plant sales and nurseries are once again in person...

ljmarkson
Mar 16, 20226 min read


Why My Family Doesn't Bring Me Flowers Anymore
My family shows how much they love me by not giving me cut flowers. They know I don’t want flowers covered in pesticides that are grown...

ljmarkson
Feb 12, 20223 min read


Gardening Advice Turns a Corner
Out of curiosity I visited a popular gardening guru’s FB page. Winter lawns, various Roundup products and a flowering (invasive) mahonia...

ljmarkson
Feb 5, 20224 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


Red-Winged Blackbirds are Special
Years ago, when I had a lawn with a sad, lonely bird feeder in the middle of it, I would senselessly chase away flocks of Red-winged...

ljmarkson
Jan 9, 20225 min read


Cedar Waxwings Reveal How Pervasively Disruptively Invasive Nandina and Honeysuckle are to Wildlife
Soon after I started working on a post focused on invasive nandina (Nandina domestica), I went down a rabbit hole and ended up in a...

ljmarkson
Dec 30, 20215 min read


Fresh Gift Ideas for the Backyard Nature Lover
If you know someone who buys native plants by the carload, creates a safe backyard habitat space for wildlife, has seeds stratifying in...

ljmarkson
Dec 10, 20215 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


Native Georgia Aster is a Rare Southern Belle
October is aster time so I’m starting off my list of ten October native plants with the stunning Georgia aster (Symphyotrichum...

ljmarkson
Oct 6, 20215 min read


Enjoy Native Spotted Beebalm's Whimsical Complexity
My September blooming native plant #9 is spotted beebalm or horsemint (monarda punctata), a fragrant herb in the mint family with a...

ljmarkson
Sep 23, 20212 min read


White Turtlehead Spreads Slowly But Steadily
My Georgia native plant pick #8 for September is called white turtlehead (chelone glabra) although I haven’t ever seen white flowers...

ljmarkson
Sep 22, 20213 min read


Atlanta Area Fall 2021 Native Plant Sales and Nurseries
Even though September is Georgia Grows Native for Birds month, I try not to plant until October. Fall plant sales have me itching to add...

ljmarkson
Sep 15, 20217 min read
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