Text and photos by Liz Deleeuw, Coordinator
In 2012 the Edmonton Native Plant Society acquired the use of a bed by the parking lot at the Muttart Conservatory. The Edmonton Horticultural Society had given the bed up, and we were ready to step in. I met with members of the Edmonton Naturalization Group (as we were called then) at a kitchen table, and put together a plan for the bed. It was installed, and on 5th July, 2013 we had an official opening attended by city councillor Ben Henderson and Linda Duncan who was the MP for the Strathcona riding at the time.
Since that time we have had many sessions of weeding and tending the bed. We also do the occasional renovating of sections of the bed. In recent years we have had to replace the asters, fleabanes, and sunflowers with other plants because of a serious lacebug problem. Lacebugs affect these species but do not kill the plants. They do, however, make them unsightly. We still find some asters, fleabanes, and sunflowers trying to come back. We pull infected volunteer plants out, but somehow the lacebugs still manage to find others! It is a good thing that there are many other native plants. Something in the bed is blooming all season long.
This year we are meeting on Wednesday evenings and you can contact us at info@enps.ca to be put on Liz's volunteer list and receive my weekly updates. Please consider joining us!