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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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Why Dyed Mulch is Ecologically Problematic
It’s not your imagination that dyed mulch is covering your neighborhood. It's been around for 60 years, but the dyed mulch market has...
ljmarkson
Jun 23, 20246 min read
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...
ljmarkson
Apr 21, 20246 min read
Event Alert for Saturday April 13! Your Yard is Nature's Best Hope: 10 Ways to Help Pollinators and Birds with Leslie Inman and Vicki Mann
If you live in Atlanta set aside THIS Saturday, April 13 from 11:00am-1:00pm for a Free eye-opening presentation at Lost Corner Nature...
ljmarkson
Apr 8, 20242 min read
Restore Habitat to Hear the Sweet Song of the Hermit Thrush
Every habitat element in my pocket wildlife sanctuary contributes to a more biodiverse ecosystem. Hermit thrushes for example rarely...
ljmarkson
Jan 7, 20243 min read
Be Part of the Habitat Warrior Community!
A year ago, I overcame a lifelong fear of public speaking so I could expand my efforts to help nature. My daughter the graphic designer...
ljmarkson
Jan 2, 20244 min read
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
Be an Advocate for Nature By Sharing What You Know
I try to go out of my comfort zone and share information in online neighborhood groups where the focus is rarely on creating a wildlife...
ljmarkson
Oct 24, 20235 min read
Nature Loving Strangers are Kindred Spirits
I was recently looking through my lengthy list of ongoing blog ideas and catchy titles for articles yet to be written and came across...
ljmarkson
Oct 9, 20234 min read
The Future Needs More Violets and Fewer Lawns
I stopped to chat with an elderly neighbor who had just finished weeding her hosta beds. She showed me healthy violet patches growing in...
ljmarkson
Sep 23, 20234 min read
New Fall Habitat Yard Workshops in Atlanta!
By rewilding my urban Atlanta yard I'm hoping to restore nature in some small way where I live. So far, I’ve been focused on sharing my...
ljmarkson
Sep 4, 20235 min read
Why You Need to Remove Invasive Plants from Your Yard
I like to boast that there are no weeds in my rewilded yard – meaning there are no plants I don’t want growing in it. Some of my favorite...
ljmarkson
Jul 16, 20234 min read
25 Dry Shade Tolerant Native Plants for a Southern Habitat Yard
Back in February I wrote about how having a section of sewer pipe replaced offered me an opportunity to replant a section of my rewilded...
ljmarkson
Jun 8, 20238 min read
Native Plants as Edging Plants
In the spring I’m often outside adding, moving, editing, and potting up plants until it’s so dark outside that I can’t see my hands. I’m...
ljmarkson
Apr 28, 20233 min read
Local Earth Day Activism Needs to be Every Day
The magical Earth Day event at Zonolite Park organized by hosts Steph Johnson and Josh Wayne raised awareness about protecting the...
ljmarkson
Apr 25, 20233 min read
Spring 2023 - Atlanta Native Plant Nurseries & Plant Sales
It’s the time of year for native plant fans to visit local native plant nurseries, pop-up seasonal sales, and plant swaps. I’ve written...
ljmarkson
Apr 4, 20235 min read
Organizations are Not People - A Cautionary Tale
I’m sharing the following lengthy and raw personal journey post in the context of helping others who want to help repair our natural...
ljmarkson
Mar 23, 202310 min read
Yard Restoration and the Battle to Remove Invasive and Non-native Plants
I often go outside to work in my yard with a plan of action yet end up doing something completely different. Recently, my idea was to...
ljmarkson
Feb 18, 20233 min read
S**t Happens - and Opens up Possibilities!
One of the main lessons in my daily guided meditation is how our suffering comes from not being able to align our inner expectations with...
ljmarkson
Feb 5, 20236 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
Plant Native Fruiting Trees in Public and Private Spaces
Earth friendly Steph and Josh of Atlanta aptly expressed their gratitude to nature on Thanksgiving Day by adding 46 native Georgia fruit...
ljmarkson
Dec 8, 20223 min read
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Atlanta, GA
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