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

The Prime Directive and the Owlet Looper Caterpillar Dilemma

OR Coexisting with nature is as complex as trying to follow Star Trek’s Prime Directive. In anticipation of the first hard freeze back at...

ljmarkson

Feb 11, 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

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

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

Jan 5, 20214 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 31, 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 29, 20202 min read

What Do Pest Control Companies Want to Teach Our Kids?

OR Teach Kids About Butterflies Before Termites. I try hard to focus on positive ways to nurture nature, but when I learn about nature...

ljmarkson

Dec 23, 20202 min read

Can Pest Control Companies Help You Coexist with Nature?

When I found a beautiful spider in the middle of cobwebs on my rarely used garden rake, I started searching the internet to learn more...

ljmarkson

Dec 19, 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 12, 20202 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 9, 20203 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 8, 20201 min read

Is That a Leaf or Chrysalis?

OR Please Don't Cut Down Your Plants in the Fall! One of the golden rules of nurturing native nature is the same as the golden rule in...

ljmarkson

Nov 25, 20202 min read