ljmarkson
A Successful Pollinator Garden is Messy
OR Did You Really Plant That Pollinator Garden for Pollinators? Starting in early spring a 5 year old pollinator garden at the entrance...
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All Blog Posts
ljmarkson
Aug 17, 20213 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
Jul 18, 20213 min read
Have You Seen a Non-Native Invasive Sculptured Resin Bee In Your Yard?
A couple weeks ago I was excited to see a giant bee I had never seen before pollinating my clustered mountain mint (pycnanthemum...
ljmarkson
Jun 29, 20214 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 20, 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
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
Feb 5, 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
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 14, 20213 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 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
Jan 5, 20214 min read
Nine Bright and Easy Native Goldenrods to Add to Your Atlanta Naturescape (Natural Landscape)
OR Add Biodiversity to Your Native Plant Habitat with More Goldenrod` OR Can You Ever Really Have Enough Goldenrod? (Edited 12.3.22 to...
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 12, 20202 min read
In Defense of Grasshoppers
OR Without Grasshoppers We Won't Have Birds. On a recent balmy winter day, I walked down a path in my yard and a handful of grasshoppers...
ljmarkson
Dec 9, 20203 min read
I'm An Eco Bag Lady
OR I'm a Naturescape Organic Matter Scavenger Part Two. Much to the embarrassment of my sweet husband, I’m an eco bag lady. When we walk...
ljmarkson
Dec 8, 20201 min read
Can I Have Your Coneflower Seedheads?
OR I’m a Naturescape Organic Matter Scavenger Part One Last month when I saw a nearby neighbor deadheading her large patch of native...
ljmarkson
Dec 3, 20202 min read
Essential Native Perennials for a Winter Seedhead Bird Garden
OR How to Intentionally Let Your Yard to Go To Seed Winter has descended on Georgia and I'm ready for it! Thanks to my ongoing...
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 29, 20202 min read
Why Aren't All State Flowers Native Flowers?
In my quest to learn every little thing I could about passionflower vine, I found out the state flower of Tennessee is non-native iris...
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...
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