ljmarkson
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...
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All Blog Posts
ljmarkson
Mar 22, 20212 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
Jan 31, 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
Jan 10, 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
Dec 31, 20202 min read
Why Goldenrod is Native Plant Gold
OR Goldenrod's Many Charms. In my previous post I explain why everyone in the native plant world is talking about goldenrod (solidago). A...
ljmarkson
Dec 29, 20202 min read
Goldenrod (Solidago) is Trending!
OR If You Only Add One Native Plant to Your Yard, Make it Goldenrod! Keystone plant species are what native plant guru Doug Tallamy calls...
ljmarkson
Dec 1, 20201 min read
Plant a Winter Seedhead Garden to Nurture a Natural Bird Habitat
OR Birdseed isn't the Only Way to Attract Birds in the Winter Butterfly gardens are wildly popular because flowers are beautiful and...
ljmarkson
Nov 28, 20202 min read
Passionflower Vine Drama: Protective Ants, Life-Sucking Soldiers, and Intoxicated Bees
I’m typically an all-in kind of person when something interests me, and passionflower vine is a striking attention grabber. I won’t be...
ljmarkson
Nov 24, 20202 min read
Nature's Perfect Harmony: Native Purple Passionflower Vine and Gulf Fritillary Butterflies
There’s a fascinating phenomenon I've noticed but haven't specifically read about between native purple passionflower vines (passiflora...
ljmarkson
Nov 23, 20201 min read
The Ticket to a Front Row Seat Watching Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar's Become Butterflies
Or Why Pollinator Gardens Need Native Host Plants The people who tell me their pollinator garden doesn't need native plants invariably...
ljmarkson
Nov 22, 20202 min read
The Very Hungry Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar - From Youthful Defoliation to Chrysalis
Watching generations of gulf fritillary caterpillars go through multiple stages as they defoliate the native passionflower vines...
ljmarkson
Nov 21, 20201 min read
The Very Hungry Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar – From Egg to Baby Caterpillar
One benefit of creating a wildlife habitat in my yard is I get too see the wonder of nature up close throughout the year. I never tire of...
ljmarkson
Nov 20, 20202 min read
Saving the Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars One by One
When I went to my community garden last month my friend Pat rushed by me with a handful of gulf fritillary caterpillars (cats) crawling...
ljmarkson
Nov 19, 20202 min read
Passionflower Vines are the Only Game in Town for Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars
I realize I'm starting my Nurture Native Nature blog by writing a handful of short posts on the same subject. I’m a bit obsessive so...
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