Oh, beautiful Calgary—our sunny but dry city that seems to experience less predictable summer rainfall with each passing year. That means when we most want to see our beautiful outdoor areas green and thriving, it takes a lot of water to make that happen. With less precipitation, that water is often in short supply, even when you’re doing what you can to capture water with rain barrels or similar methods. So, what can we do to help our gardens be green and beautiful even when the clouds above aren’t cooperating?
If you guessed “establish native plants,” you’re 100 percent correct! These plants have a lot of environmental benefits and are a natural part of our ecological system. They evolved alongside our Calgary climate and are drought-tolerant so they can make it through the long, dry, southern Alberta summers without needing much extra watering at all.
Native plants are also havens for native insects and pollinators and are well adapted to survive our harsh winters. Some plants even need cold temperatures for their seeds to germinate! If you’re interested in getting native plants started in your garden this year, look for our Grow with Us program re-opening this spring, where we provide community members with native plant seeds at no cost to them. We just ask that growers help us to grow our seed bank by returning native seeds to us once their plants go to seed!
If you’re looking for a specific species or colour of flower, you can also check out native seed producers like ALCLA, Grumpy’s Greenhouse, or Eastern Slopes Rangeland Seeds for plugs and seeds to plan your garden just like you want. We also have an exciting Speaker Series coming up on April 16 where Mathis Natvik of Natvik Design Inc. will present on gardening with Alberta native plants – check out our website to learn more about this and the Grow with Us program! www.friendsoffishcreek.org
Fun Facts
- Native plants require around 50 percent less water than their non-native or agricultural counterparts. Their deep roots can access water far below ground and adaptations like the shape and colour of their leaves, hairiness, and sun tracking abilities help reduce their need for water.
- Native grasslands not only support plant diversity, but they provide a home for native insect species like bumblebees (upper) and blister beetles (lower).
