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Nurture Native Nature
Creating Healthy Local Ecosystems
Welcome to Nurture Native Nature, a blog about my ongoing journey creating a wildlife sanctuary in my own small piece of our precious earth. Hopefully I can help
make it easier for you to do the same.
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Native Crossvine is a Habitat Plant
I thought crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) was indestructible. It climbs by tendrils then attaches to trees with even more with roots to...
ljmarkson
Feb 2, 20232 min read
Winter Sowing Native Plants
One of my ongoing goals as both a board member and programming and education co-chair of the Intown Atlanta GNPS is to help make adding...
ljmarkson
Jan 20, 20231 min read
Reclaim Nature and Add Habitat with a Brush Pile
I’ve tried to maximize the edge areas of my small, semi-urban, rewilded yard by tucking away a few brush piles behind shrubs and trees to...
ljmarkson
Nov 30, 20225 min read
Grow a Native Buckeye Tree from Seed
Several of the multiple buckeye species that grow in North America are native to Georgia. Bottlebrush buckeye is native to Alabama,...
ljmarkson
Nov 22, 20224 min read
To Save Insects and Birds the Future is Now
It turned out to be a great idea for the Intown Atlanta Chapter of the Georgia native Plant Society to squeeze one more event into this...
ljmarkson
Nov 18, 20223 min read
Add Coreopsis Integrifolia to the Home Landscape
There are over two dozen coreopsis varieties in North American on BONAP and twenty grow in Georgia. Coreopsis integrifolia also known as...
ljmarkson
Nov 9, 20222 min read
Intown Atlanta GNPS Native Plant Swap & Share FAQ
I'm helping organize the Intown Atlanta GNPS Native Plants Swap & Share as part of the Annual Meeting. Since this is the first time we're...
ljmarkson
Sep 7, 20226 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
Intown Atlanta GNPS Pollinator Picnics are Family Friendly!
This year the Intown Atlanta Georgia Native Plant Society is making it easy for Atlanta families to participate in the Great Georgia...
ljmarkson
Aug 13, 20224 min read
FAQ for Intown Atlanta GNPS Pollinator Picnics
What is the Great Georgia Pollinator Census Count? The Great Georgia Pollinator Census count (GGPC) is a citizen science project...
ljmarkson
Aug 7, 20227 min read
Strategies for Identifying Agastache Species and Other Native Plants
I don’t usually get fussy or wonky about different native plant species but when I learned the range for the most common hyssop called...
ljmarkson
Jul 19, 20226 min read
Building a More Vibrant Intown Atlanta Native Plant Community
On a hot June Sunday afternoon a varied group of around 50 or so people interested in native plants came together for a panel discussion...
ljmarkson
Jun 28, 20224 min read
Fernbank Forest - An Example of Protecting Nature for Future Generations
I had no expectation when my friend Leslie of Pollinator Friendly Yards asked me if I wanted to meet her for a 2-hour guided walk in the...
ljmarkson
Jun 22, 20223 min read
How To Prevent Children From Having Nature Blindness
For most of my childhood I lived with my grandparents. Long before edible landscapes became fashionable, a large chunk of my...
ljmarkson
May 21, 20226 min read
Why We Need to Support Local Native Plant Retail Nurseries
Recently, I drove over an hour in traffic each way to visit North Georgia Native Plant Nursery to buy two one-gallon native mountain...
ljmarkson
May 15, 20229 min read
20 Easy Shade-Tolerant Native Southern Groundcovers
Finding native groundcovers for shady areas seems to be one of the most common scenarios in Atlanta where we still have more tree canopy...
ljmarkson
Apr 20, 20229 min read
Native Plant Habitat Tour Offers Insights for Backyard Habitat Restoration
Bill and Carol Pardue's yard, one of the six properties at the first GNPS Intown Atlanta Native Plant Habitat Tour. is proof that a small...
ljmarkson
Apr 7, 20223 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
Winter Sowing Native Liatris Spicata for a Mini Nature Center
My friend Rita from Botany Yards generously gave me native plant seeds to put in my mini-nature center. I wondered how to ensure success...
ljmarkson
Feb 20, 20222 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
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Atlanta, GA
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