Our member survey
ENPS launched our first-ever member survey over the Christmas period, and we encourage everyone who received the form to fill it in if possible. We are seeking more information about our members, why they joined, what their particular interests are, and whether the society is meeting their expectations. As well, last but not least, we want to know whether you want to get more involved as a volunteer, to help us maintain and possibly extend our activities. There are a variety of ways you can help us, some involving getting hands dirty through work on outdoor projects, and others involving indoors and computer work, doing the many tasks it takes to run a society.
Volunteers as native plant growers
We imagine that a primary interest of members will be to establish their native plant garden, or at least a “hybrid” one in which attractive natives co-exist with horticultural species, for the purpose not only of preserving native plants but also of providing improved urban ecosystems for local insects and bird life. One of the obstacles to achieving this is the limited supply of native plants available for purchase. This is largely because they are not profitable for commercial nurseries to grow, for various reasons: the market is not yet big enough; natives are slower-growing as they are almost exclusively perennial; and they can’t be ordered in bulk from nurseries in milder climates out west (unlike horticultural species) to get a head start on the growing season.
We have some local suppliers of native plants, including of course ENPS (see our list on our website: https://www.enps.ca/source), but individual, local growers could make a significant contribution to the supply, by growing out plants in their home gardens. In a year of good germination for a particular species, the grower will not only have enough for their own garden needs but will have a surplus of plants that they can either give away to neighbours, or sell or donate to ENPS or at community events.
Developing expertise in growing native shrubs
ENPS has experimented relatively little with growing trees and shrubs, yet these are very important in landscaping, and several local native shrub species are normal components of open areas such as natural grasslands. Volunteers could provide an invaluable service by experimenting with growing shrubs, a longer-term investment that does not depend on getting fast growth for sales. Value would increase if volunteers kept track of their growing experiences and shared them with other ENPS members, say, via the newsletter, workshops or presentations.
Scope for trees and shrubs in gardens and restoration projects

Balsam poplar and aspen, by virtue of their copious and wind-dispersed seeds, often appear as volunteers in plant pots left in the garden. They may not be wanted in the garden, but if left to grow to about 30-40 cm tall they could possibly find a home in urban or rural woodlands or wetlands. Spruce and jack pine are easily grown from seed, too. Jack pine saplings have thrived in the sandy soils of Bunchberry Meadows, and there is room for more. Local fruits of Canada buffaloberry, snowberry, red-osier dogwood, roses, saskatoon, chokecherry and wolf willow are easily come by, and although they are not as easy to grow as some of our popular forbs, multiple sowing attempts should yield better results. Common juniper, which occurs naturally in the river valley, can be grown from cuttings, although it is recommended that the shoots be subjected to bottom heat in a nursery setting to stimulate the growth of roots. Willows can be grown from seed and also from cuttings, although I have not found that either is as easy to achieve as the literature makes out.
Volunteer growers could make a contribution to City naturalization projects
The City of Edmonton is pursuing its objectives of naturalization (definition: “make wilder”), not so much to promote native plant diversity as to reduce parks’ maintenance costs. Roadsides, boulevards, and constructed wetlands are some of the urban targets where they will reduce or stop mowing, and encourage the growth of natives. Local native plant growers may be in a good position to contribute to these projects by providing material for planting.
Further….
Volunteer contributions to the Wildflower News, the website, Facebook and Instagram are eagerly solicited and always welcome – for example, short descriptions of your growing achievements, pictures, recommended books, and ideas.
Happy New Year!
Let’s hope for a good growing season in 2025, plenty of moisture, and a speedy return to life for our gardens and green spaces!