WHY NATIVE PLANTS ARE IMPORTANT
The delicate but secure balance of our ecosystems is something to marvel at and acknowledge. Alberta's prairie foothills have some very beautiful and diverse native plants that are more than worthy to get to know, and even learn to grow them in your gardens! So although for some, it can seem evident to understand the importance that native plant species hold within an eco-system, let us take a closer look at their role, and why we do not want to see any more species being known as rare or worse, extinct!
PERSPECTIVE CHANGE
The specific plants that are growing within ecosystems are most likely the same group of plant species that have been growing in that space together and evolving together further back in time than we can sometimes imagine. This is the actual definition of a native plant species, something that has been a part of the same area and climates for centuries. Plants have been the backbone of life and diversity on our planet before evidence of human existence. The plants are what called in and held more animal life, they are the providers, they confine the intricate systems that allow for our planet to be set up how it is! With forests being the only real carbon regulators, plants are playing a bigger role in the health of our environments than a lot of people understand.
When left alone nature works like clockwork, everything playing its part of the operation for every living being to have what it needs. Native plants provide the food, shelter, materials, and oxygen necessary for life on Earth!
ROLE OF NATIVE PLANTS
Native plants are adapted to our local climate, they go hand in hand with all the birds, insects as well as small and large animals! They are the key to survival, by cycling nutrients, building soil, and creating freshwater. Even with all these things in common, every different species has its own signature within the eco-system, a distinctive relationship, and functions, without one, the whole web could come undone. Other than the obvious, the role of native plants ripples out to the bigger picture of our landscapes, and it brings unrest to many as we can see an environmental unraveling beginning with the loss of natural habitats, deforestation, non-native plant species being introduced, and the like.
The role of native plants is to be a known community member in the web of life! Every area will have multiple eco-systems, where it seems as though each plant species has been hand-picked to continue to show up, be present, and be in reciprocity with its fellow community members. This is mainly due to the evolutionary process that has occurred in those areas as mentioned above.
So whether it be a wetland, a woody forest, rolling prairie hills, or river banks, you will find native plant species to the area, working hard to have everything run harmoniously. Seeing these native plant species in different ecosystems that surround your city is the ultimate way to understand their preferred conditions and if you have the potential to grow them in your own yards!
YOUR ROLE WITH NATIVE PLANTS
If you are feeling a call to action with the native plants, there are many ways to help them out. Our favorite at Seed to Sage is to create an environment in your yard where they can thrive! First, you will want to have a design done so that you know how they are going to fit together in the garden, what species likes what type of soil, and what sun conditions. Once you start working with and planting the native plant species of Alberta, you will be amazed at how your yard is transformed, it will start to buzz with life! This way you can get connected with the benefits of native plant species with first-hand experience. So although some of those modified species you see at the garden centers are looking beautiful in-store, remember they are usually grown in greenhouses, shipped to your area, and may not have the same lasting effect. You want to be utilizing your garden space by thinking about the future, how these plants are going to last throughout the changing seasons. Remember that non-native species can sometimes host invasive pests and diseases that spread!
If you do not have a space to create a native plant garden, there can be other ways to support your new plant friends. You can volunteer with environmental protection groups and organizations (like CPAWS). You can work with gardening and native plant nurseries in your local area, and last but not least, you can go out into your wild nature areas to meet these different species, learn to identify them and get to know them in your own deeper way. The more you grow to love them, the more you will want to see them protected and realize the ancient wisdom they hold in our landscapes.
BENEFITS OF HAVING NATIVE PLANTS IN YOUR GARDEN
I will leave you in these thoughts of native plant species with some of our favorite benefits that they can bring into your life, either in your garden or in your connection to them as a herbalist, nature lover, and plant enthusiast!
Seed to Sages chooses native plant species in our garden designs for the reassurance that they are growing where they are meant to be! Native plant species are adaptable to our local environments, they have been changing to these climates for many, many years and can withstand strange weather patterns. They are more resilient to use in your urban gardens, they can be seen as little 'pit stops' and known plant allies for pollinators trying to get around our busy cities. It is great to plant something you know you will see come back to life the second spring is in action, resulting in less money spent, a longer relationship built with the plant, and watching the transformation of your space as your native plant garden continues to grow with the seasons!
Urban areas have higher levels of pollution, heat, dry soils, and less wildlife. This is where the native plants can come in to transform these 'unwanted' spaces! Native plants have life-giving feedback loops with the soil, they provide more shade which will retain water and protect the Earth's surface. They help decrease the pollution in the cities, as they take in C02 and release more oxygen into our air! All plants are a great way to combat some of these city challenges but remember that native plant species are already localized, low maintenance, and connected to the other living beings around them!
As mentioned earlier, native plants are the ultimate providers. If you want to see more pollinators, birds, and other exciting or helpful garden insects, plant the species that they can recognize! Wildlife almost has a memory code with these plant species, they remember them as food, remember them as protection and shelter from the outside world, remember that they belong together.
We live amongst living systems that have been going on for much longer than we have been living our modern lifestyles. Give back in reciprocity by getting to know the precious native plant species in your area. Find the nurseries that sell them, and plant them in your yards! You can feel good about this choice always, and will be taking one small step closer to helping our changing environments happier and healthier!
If you can any questions, please submit them through our website or reach us by email!
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