Why people are planting prairie perennial gardens

By Mariianne Mays Wiebe

More urban gardeners, from novices to master gardeners, are planting prairie-native perennial gardens or adding native plants and grasses to their yards and gardens.

There are plenty of practical, philosophical, environmental and aesthetic reasons for incorporating these native prairie gems, according to UM Groundskeeper Christine Labossiere and UM alum Jo-Anne Joyce, a retired plant technician who still does some work at UM.

They've noticed that more people are gaining awareness of the human impact on climate and how regenerative practices and locally adapted plants can help improve the soil and biodiversity, rather than planting only non-native species or having a grass monoculture.

“People want to restore local ecosystems by improving biodiversity,” says Labossiere. “They also want to reduce maintenance and costs by using less water and save money that they would spend on annuals every year.”

Native plants and grasses and their seeds and nectars support local wildlife including birds, insects and pollinators. They reflect the local climate while respecting the natural history of the land. Natural prairie is a mix of grasses and wildflowers. 

People also have a “desire to grow traditional plants, to revitalize cultural traditions and provide medicine that can be used in ceremonies, for food and other purposes,” she observes.

Traditional native perennials include Sweetgrass, sage, cedar, bee balm, giant hyssop, saskatoon, wild raspberry and mint, to name a few.

Encouraging colourful biodiversity

If you are imagining a yard filled with birdsong, fuzzy caterpillars, butterflies hovering near colourful blooms and bees buzzing between stems and flowers, incorporating prairie-native plants in your yard or garden could be right for you.

“There’s more research that shows that even small patches of native plants in the yard can help create important corridors for wildlife and pollinators,” Labossiere notes.

“People desire to see butterflies and birds in their yard and create habitat.”

And “it doesn’t have to be a huge garden,” she emphasizes. Incorporating even a few of these plants and grasses on a yard or even a balcony can be beneficial.

“Every bit helps,” she says.

Why prairie-native perennials thrive

Native plants and grasses are more resilient because they have dense, underground root systems better suited to our environment, say Labossiere and Joyce. The two worked on the native revegetation strategy for Fort Garry campus, which included adding prairie perennials to the UMSU University patio planters.

The roots act like a sponge, helping to retain water in the soil for longer. Strong roots mean less evaporation, improved water infiltration and less erosion.

It also means less overall water use for maintenance. Once established a season or two after planting, they shouldn’t require additional watering.

As well, letting native plants and grasses stand over winter traps the snow and insulates the ground, acting as natural protection for plant longevity through freeze-thaw cycles.

Heathy soil with less maintenance and cost

A dense, year-round cover of native vegetation shields soil, which they say is helpful to soil health. Healthy soil is full of organisms to break down plant material and make organic matter, also a natural fertilizer that feeds your garden.

Uncovered soil is not great, Labossiere points out. It exposes organisms to the hot sun and soil health declines. On the contrary, vegetation-covered soil is a carbon sink; it pulls carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis, safely storing it in roots and organic matter. Plant cover keeps soil cooler and preserves moisture, transpiring into the atmosphere and cycling back into gentle rainfall.

Longterm, there’s less cost in using native perennials than short-seasoned annual plants. Maintenance inputs are reduced, with less watering, fertilizing and weeding required overall.

Keep learning — and growing!

Working with plants means ongoing learning, Labossiere and Joyce note.

Both enjoy discovering and understanding what works over time, as well as learning from traditional land management practices.

“Restoration of Indigenous plants and practices can be an act of Reconciliation,” Labossiere says, with choices that can make a difference.

When more people choose to use prairie-native plants or with something larger like the UM grounds, those choices can add up to a major impact.