I've been increasingly interested in permaculture

Below plants are native to the Calgary grasslands. Our grasslands are closest to extinction ecosystem in Canada.

This matters because there exist insects and other animals who survive only through a relationship with local plants.

I like the idea of native plants because they're hard to kill. But i also like functional things.

So i picked up the following:

- Anthoxanthum hirtum - Sweetgrass. My partner is native, and sweetgrass is a sacred native plant. Used for smudging, tea, etc.

- Juniperus horizontalis - Juniper. Edible berries.

- Monarda fistulosa - Beebalm. Pollinators love it. Used as herb.

- Ribes aureum - Golden currant. Yum berries.

Visit http://alclanativeplants.com to get some if you're in the grasslands.