Grow Wild YYC

06/23/2026

It’s ! Let’s start off the week with the most well known of them, bees! Alberta is home to over 380 species of bees from itty bitty sweat bees all the way to the giant Nevada bumble bee. Most are solitary, some are social and some are somewhere in between (they’ll nest close to each other but not really together). Some are only active as adults for a few weeks while others are around all summer. All are important for pollinating. Plant a variety of native plants with different flower shapes and bloom times and leave bare patches of ground or dead wood around to encourage nesting bees. ❤️🐝

06/20/2026

Thanks to the Hawkwood community association for inviting me to talk about native plants and help bring a few to the community garden! Some beauties just beyond the garden blooming to keep them inspired as well ❤️🌱

06/19/2026

Came across this at the thrift store and despite being pretty sure the answer I decided to look and see what kind of plants were recommended. Surprise surprise, the healthy gardens in here are not comprised of native plants! Working with nature and having an ecologically beneficial garden means incorporating the plants that our fungi, bacteria, insects, birds and mammals have built relationships with over 1000’s of years.
I’m sure there are lots of beneficial practices in this book but it’s not truly an ecological garden without those ecologically important plants! 🌱

06/19/2026

Not to be confused with our native harebells or talk lungwort, creeping bellflower is a different beast altogether! If you think you see it in a natural area please don’t try to pull it! They have crazy thick, deep taproots that accept the challenge to grow back even stronger if you don’t get the whole thing. Best to report on EDDmapS and let the pros handle it!

Looks can be deceiving 👀🪻

Just because it’s pretty, doesn’t mean it belongs!! At first glance, creeping bellflower LOOKS like a beautiful flower. With its tall stems and clusters of purple blooms, it's easy to see why it was once planted in gardens. However, creeping bellflower is an invasive plant that spreads aggressively through seeds and underground roots, escaping yards into natural areas where it can outcompete native plants and reduce biodiversity.

While creeping bellflower is no longer regulated under the Alberta W**d Control Act, that doesn’t mean it’s harmless! Not all invasive plants are regulated, and deregulated species can still have significant impacts on native ecosystems.

Help protect Alberta's native wildflowers by learning to identify invasive plants, choosing native species for your garden, and preventing invasive plants from spreading beyond where they're planted.

**ds

06/14/2026

Kinnikinnick aka bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a fantastic ground cover and soil stabilizer but also a tough cookie to grow! After attempting to transfer several plants from rescues (with one success!) I am going to the pros and planting plugs from .about.flowers. Let’s hope they can spread!

06/08/2026

Rare Plant Occurrences within Coal Leases of the Eastern Slopes of Alberta

06/05/2026

Last night I put on my hat to attend the 35th Emerald Awards recognizing those working to support the environment. While we didn’t win it was still a great opportunity to learn about projects and people working so hard to make a positive difference. In the last few weeks on multiple occasions I have said it’s getting harder and harder to speak for the trees but after last night I have hope and feel so thankful that there are so many people doing just that ❤️💚

06/03/2026

The soaking from all this rain sure helps create that woodland feel 😊🌧️

06/02/2026

Grassroots and those of many of our native prairie plants grow really deep!

After several days of heavy rain across southern Alberta, native grasslands are doing what they've done for thousands of years—capturing and storing water.

Beneath the prairie lies a vast network of roots that helps create healthy, porous soils. Instead of water quickly running off the landscape, much of it can soak into the ground, replenishing soil moisture and helping sustain plants and wildlife long after the clouds have cleared.

In many ways, native grasslands function like a giant sponge, slowing runoff, reducing erosion, and making the most of every rainfall event.

What happens below ground is just as important as what we see above it.

05/31/2026

When talking about birds to the public I’m often asked to discuss why birds matter. While there are a whole lot of reasons, one of the ones that I feel is underrated is their connections to our wellbeing. Just like a song on the radio can take you back, so too can a bird song. The first time I hear a white throated sparrow in the spring I can feel my spirits lifted with the hope of spring to come and a chickadee in the winter can make me smile but the sound of this guy might be the most nostalgic. The first time I heard a house wren in the yard was right after coming home from the hospital with my brand new baby son. It was a heck of a time adjusting to life with a baby but this guy’s song brought some levity and kept me company in those early hours of the morning when the sun was up but I normally wouldn’t be! His song still brings me a warm feeling and brings that hope for the season ahead. It’s always welcoming an old friend home ❤️