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.

oakleaf hydrangea, chipola river ticksee

Attend a Native Plant Seed Swap!

Native plants are a cornerstone of creating a habitat-friendly, sustainable yard for wildlife. They offer food, shelter, coverage,...

ljmarkson

Nov 21, 20233 min read

Container Gardening for Biodiversity and Habitat

Using native plants in container gardens is a low maintenance and sustainable way to add biodiversity and create habitat in small spaces...

ljmarkson

Jul 2, 20234 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

Winter Sowing Tips for Native Plant Seedlings

Last spring, I meant to write a native plant seedling update to my winter sowing posts. I even made notes, but never actually wrote the...

ljmarkson

Feb 2, 20225 min read

Create Local Change by Building Community Support for Native Plants

The native plant community in Atlanta grew stronger yesterday with the first event of the newly minted Intown Atlanta Chapter of the GNPS...

ljmarkson

Nov 9, 20214 min read

Reclaiming Nature and Letting Go of Stress

Nature is such a powerful cure-all that ecotherapy uses it as a tool to professionally boost growth, healing and reduce stress. It is...

ljmarkson

Oct 22, 20215 min read

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

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

Dear Neighbor: Your Mosquito Control is Environmentally Hostile

Spring in Atlanta means the return of the war on insects. If I combined everyone in my area into one person, this is the snarky letter...

ljmarkson

Mar 26, 20214 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

Squirrels: Ambassadors for Coexisting with Nature in Our Yards

Our house is our human nest but once we step outside, we share space with wildlife. Just because we’ve destroyed habitats to build our...

ljmarkson

Mar 11, 20213 min read

The Daffodil Dilemma in My Wildlife Sanctuary

In early spring my yard becomes a carpet of naturalized daffodils thanks to the hundreds of bulbs I strategically planted years ago. So...

ljmarkson

Mar 7, 20213 min read

There's a Certification For Every Kind of Eco-Friendly Yard!

Whether you consider your yard a pollinator habitat, native plant habitat, wildlife sanctuary, wildlife habitat, green landscape, native...

ljmarkson

Feb 23, 20215 min read

Reasons to Certify Your Naturalized 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

Jan 31, 20213 min read

In My Yard Hellebores are Pernicious Weeds!

OR Why I Anticipate HELLebores Will Eventually Earn a Spot on Georgia’s Exotic Invasive Species List Predicting which non-native plants...

ljmarkson

Jan 27, 20212 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