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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 41 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 215 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 105 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...
ljmarkson
Jan 55 min read

Ideas for Gifting a Connection to Nature
For my annual nature inspired gift list, I try to think of not so obvious but always welcome ideas. I turn to items and experiences I am...
ljmarkson
Dec 12, 202413 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

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...
ljmarkson
Aug 22, 20244 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...
ljmarkson
Aug 17, 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


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


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...
ljmarkson
Feb 22, 20243 min read


How to Make a Wildlife Container Pond
If we want to consider the ecological function of our yard, a water source is a foundational habitat element. Bird baths and other...
ljmarkson
Jan 23, 202414 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...
ljmarkson
Jan 7, 20243 min read
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