The Edmonton Naturalization Group is an informal group of people in the Edmonton area who like to grow native plants and promote their use in gardening and landscaping to a wider public. We take part in a number of projects, in cooperation with the appropriate municipal authorities, which aim to enrich the natural flora of various parks and natural areas.

It all started in 1997, when one of our members obtained a pesticide-free designation for a neighbourhood park connected to Mill Creek Ravine. She started pulling out the abundant Canada Thistles that grew along the park border.

It's not just about flowers! Have a peek at a collection of photos taken last fall at Old Man Creek Nursery by a volunteer.

(Be patient - it may take a while to download!)

This is excellent article by Patsy Cotterill on the different evergreen trees found in her neighbourhood - both native and non-native.
There is an identification key, descriptive notes and photos of each species usually showing tree shape, bark, and cones.

Botanical Lessons,
OR: Plants Named after People: Spotted Joe Pye Weed and Paterson’s Curse
February 23,2012 - Patsy Cotterill

Edmonton Naturalization Group has published Go Wild, a book on 'Easy to Grow Native Prairie Wildflowers and Grasses'.

You can also check out the different plants here, on our website.
Check out the index to search for a specific plant.

• Common and Scientific Names
• Wildlife Plants

ENG has a number of books, magazines and other publications on native plants and related subjects that are available for borrowing.

NEW!
“Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies”
by The Xerces Society

May 1, Tuesday- Spring cleanup at the native plant demonstration bed at John Janzen Nature Centre
We will be potting up seedlings for Biodiversity Day at JJNC, and volunteers are welcome to take home seedlings of flowers and grasses.
Time: 6.30 to 7.30pm
Location: Grounds of John Janzen Nature Centre, close to the composting section and the fire pit.

May 5, Saturday - Twin Brooks Ravine Nature Walk - Join local residents, Harry & Teresa Stelfox, for a nature-oriented walk on the trails of Twin Brooks District and Nature Park and the adjacent ravine natural areas.  We will look for signs of spring and discuss how the District Park might be enhanced for the enjoyment of Southwest Edmonton residents and the conservation of local wildlife.
Time: 1:30 pm - 3.30pm
Location:  Meet at Twin Brooks District & Nature Park parking lot, just off 119th street. 
Directions: In the district of Twin brooks, travel north on 119 street until it dead ends at a T intersection. You will see the park sign at the intersection.Turn left and then immediately right into the parking lot. 

May 6, Sunday - Biodiversity Day at JJNC - Come and celebrate Biodiversity Day. ENG will be selling books, notecards and seeds and also giving away native plant seedlings for gardeners to try. There will be a talk on Gardening With Native Plants at 1pm and regular tours of the Native Plant Demonstration Flowerbed in the grounds.
Time: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Location: John Janzen Nature Center
Cost: Regular admission fees apply.

May 12, Saturday - The sixth annual Bloomin' Garden Show and Art Sale - Workshops•Plant and Gift
Sale•Kids Activities•Artisans and Art. This is a fantastic event that combines gardening information and
products with a market and gallery all in a beautiful, serene atmosphere with classical music. ENG
will have native plants for sale.
Time: 9am to 4pm. 
Location: Alberta Avenue Community Centre 9210-118 avenue
Cost: Free

May 13, Sunday - Sturgeon River Cleanup, Planting Party and Eco-Fair - ENG will have a table at the Eco-Fair, and Markus Eymann will be demonstrating how to make a native bee nesting habitat from a log.
Time: 10am to 2pm. 
Location: Directly east of the St. Albert Centre mall at St. Albert Trail and Bellerose Drive. Park at Canadian Tire on the east side of the mall and head east to the river.
Cost: Free

May 26, Saturday - Garlic Mustard Pull in Mill Creek Ravine - a joint project by the City of Edmonton and ENG. Garlic Mustard, like a lot of weeds, is edible and nutritious too. So why is it being weeded out of Mill Creek Ravine? Well, Garlic Mustard is a new weed - it didn't grow in the wild here until a few years ago and even now its only known locations in Edmonton are two areas in Mill Creek.
We are hoping to control it by hand pulling it to prevent this weed from spreading through the whole ravine. Garlic Mustard is easy to pull. Its roots are quite shallow and easy to yank out of the ground, so join us for some satisfying weeding. No experience necessary.
Time: 9.30 to 11.30 am
Location: Meet at the intersection of 91st street and 77 ave, just north of 76 ave.

May 26, Saturday - Belgravia Perennial Swap - Plus - any little native plant shoots from the Native Plant Garden that are surplus to this year's flower display will be given away. Selected perennials from Arch Greenhouses will be available for sale.
Time: 10am to 1pm. 
Location: Belgravia Arts Park, north corner at 74 ave. and 115 st.

May 26, Saturday - Edmonton Horticultural Society Plant Exchange and Sale - A great opportunity for gardeners to find new homes for extra plants, exchange them for new ones, and buy locally hardy plants at reasonable prices. There will be a native plant section in the exchange. For guidelines and more information, please check: http://www.edmontonhort.com/plantexchange/index.php
Time: 10am - 12pm for dropping off your plants;
12 - 2 pm - staging area open for plant selection
Location: EHS Office parking lot - 10746 – 178 Street, Edmonton
Cost: Free - one credit for each plant you bring to exchange

May 27, Sunday - The Sherbrooke Stalk Exchange. The famous Stalk Exchange - tomatoes, herbs and perennials for sale, perennial and seed exchange, and ENG will be selling native plants. Also there will be information on Permaculture and Bee Keeping. As usual a great time will be had by everyone.
Time:  10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Location: Sherbrooke Community League - 13008 - 122B Avenue
Cost: Free

To subscribe.....

Prairie Crocus are in full bloom at Fort Saskatchewan Prairie right now. Kelsey Bernard, a grad student from the
U of A doing field work at the prairie, was there last Sunday and has this to report:

“The prairie crocus are really going to town out there!  The ones planted near the gate are
almost done actually, and the ones further south are at their prime right now.”

Directions to the Prairie if you wish to go and have a look for yourself:
Take Westpark Boulevard off Highway 21 just before Fort Saskatchewan. Turn right onto Westpark Drive and follow it through the subdivision until you reach River Valley Drive.
Turn right on River Valley Drive and drive a short distance towards the North Saskatchewan River. The north (main) entrance to the Prairie is reached by a paved path close to where the power line crosses.
Park along the side of River Valley Drive. Follow paved path to the north entrance. Enjoy!

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Bees and Pesticides. It's Official. The latest bee study finds that pesticides are one of the main causes of bee die-off.
 A study just reported by the Harvard School of Public Health strongly implicates a commonly used pesticide, imidacloprid, as the cause of hive die-off in bees. Tons of this pesticide are used every year by farmers on food crops, especially Canola crops, and by homeowners to kill ants and termites. 
The study involved treating hives with varying amounts of imidacloprid.  After 23 weeks of dosing, 15 out of 16 hives were dead. The doses used varied, from high amounts to amounts expected in the environment after use. Native bees (bumblebees and others) were also found to be affected by imidacloprid. (Pub. note: and leaf cutter bees and butterflies and caterpillars and bee flies; and presumably aphids and ladybugs too - maybe even us - is our canola oil full of this stuff?)
The Harvard scientists suggest that bees die off when they ingest imidacloprid from the nectar and pollen of flowers. Plants take up this systemic pesticide which penetrates into all parts of the plant including nectar and pollen. You can learn more about the study by going to hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/ and searching for imidacloprid. 

What can you do? You can avoid using any pesticides that contain it. Local stores are selling bottles of pesticides for general garden pests and ants that contain the compound. Common trade names for imidacloprid include Admire, Advantage, Confidor, Encore, Gaucho, Leverage, Marathon, Premise, Provado, Tiddo, and Winder. Thanks to Richard Taylor Ph.D for this information.