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White Snakeroot - a Dangerously Pretty Native Plant!
Native plant pick #6 for September is white snakeroot (ageratina altissima - previously eupatorium rugosum). The name comes from Native...
ljmarkson
Sep 19, 20212 min read


Native Aquatic Milkweed Is a Pretty and Petite Monarch Host Plant for Damp Areas
My September native plant pick #5 is white swamp milkweed or aquatic milkweed (asclepias perennis), one of many native milkweeds in...
ljmarkson
Sep 17, 20212 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


Boneset is a Thoroughly Valuable Native Plant
My September native plant pick #4 is common boneset (eupatorium perfoliatum), also called thoroughwort because of the way the stems go...
ljmarkson
Sep 13, 20212 min read


Frog Fruit Is a Valuable Native Groundcover!
My September native plant pick #2 is a fantastic low-growing, semi-evergreen groundcover called frog fruit (phyla nodiflora, formerly...
ljmarkson
Sep 5, 20212 min read


Flowering Spurge is an Overlooked Native Plant
I just realized the summer is disappearing and I haven’t shared much about the native plants growing in my little wildlife sanctuary...
ljmarkson
Sep 3, 20212 min read


Help Our Insects By Participating in the Great Georgia Pollinator Census 2021!
I want to encourage everyone to set aside 15 minutes this Friday, August 20 or Saturday, August 21 to participate in the Great Georgia...
ljmarkson
Aug 17, 20213 min read


My Moth Week Miracle
There seems to be a special place in all secular and religious belief systems for the idea that things happen for a reason. A few days...
ljmarkson
Jul 26, 20213 min read


Pollinators Can't Resist Native Mountain Mint Flowers!
Clustered or short-toothed mountain mint (pycnanthemum muticum) is by far the most popular plant in my yard right now. All day long it is...
ljmarkson
Jun 29, 20214 min read


Be Greedy About Supporting Wildlife in Your Yard!
OR How to optimize the habitat value of your yard. In his book Nature’s Best Hope Doug Tallamy explains how “greedy” he is when it...
ljmarkson
Jun 20, 20214 min read


Add a Mini Nature Center to Your Wildlife Habitat Yard
OR How I created the Homestead Nature Center with a little help from my family As restorative as my naturescaped yard is for the...
ljmarkson
Apr 26, 20213 min read


Atlanta Area Spring 2021 Native Plant Sales and Nurseries
Last spring most of the spring native plant sales vanished because of the pandemic. This spring a little normalcy has returned, but...
ljmarkson
Apr 5, 20215 min read


Add Purple-Hued Spring Native Plants to Your Naturescape
Getting people to slow down and appreciate the often nuanced and diminutive delightfulness of native plant flowers, particularly in...
ljmarkson
Apr 2, 20213 min read


You Can Only Have a Native Violet Bouquet if You Grow It
Non-native roses are widely admired. Native violet’s value is underestimated. But if you grow violets in your yard. Nature will be...
ljmarkson
Mar 22, 20212 min read


Reasons to Certify Your Rewilded Yard
In the summer when everything is at their peak countless people walking by smile and warmly thank me for my magical and exuberant yard...
ljmarkson
Feb 17, 20213 min read


Native Wild Strawberry Fields Forever
On the interactive National Wildlife Federation site you can punch in your zip code and learn the top butterfly and moth host plants in...
ljmarkson
Feb 5, 20213 min read


Replace Non-native Shrubs With High Impact Native Shrubs
Rewilding a semi-urban yard to create an eco-friendly sanctuary is more emotional than I anticipated. Almost a year and a half ago after...
ljmarkson
Feb 1, 20213 min read


Native Plant Winter Sowing FAQs
Winter sowing is so popular and timely that I’ve received a number of questions since my post on the topic. Hopefully by answering the...
ljmarkson
Jan 20, 20215 min read


Native Plant Seeds are Ideal for Winter Sowing
OR Tips for Winter Sowing Native Plant Seeds Using Foil Roasting Pans With Lids. Winter sowing is a way to germinate seeds by mimicking...
ljmarkson
Jan 14, 20213 min read


Plant a Glorious Goldenrod Garden This Year!
OR Do You Think Growing 19 Varieties of Goldenrod is Enough?! I currently have more varieties of goldenrod than any other native plant...
ljmarkson
Jan 10, 20213 min read
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