Our family is privileged to live on a splendid 20-acre property that overlooks the Oldman River near Lethbridge.

About 4 acres at the top of our coulee is a mix of gravel, crested wheat grass, thistle, and invasive herbs. Since 2021, we have endeavoured to restore this area to native herbs, grasses, and shrubs. Although we are in a constant battle with water scarcity and with grazing deer, hares, and porcupines, we have successfully germinated and reared about 40 species.

Our aim for the ‘What’s your 60’ challenge is to reach 60 species by the end of the 2025 growing season! In addition to attracting countless pollinators and foraging birds with these plantings, we also aim to stabilize our coulee slopes, and to convince our neighbours and friends that these plants provide countless benefits on our threatened prairies.

These photos show parts of two of our native beds. The bed on the top is dominated by shrubby cinquefoil, silvery lupine, orange mallow, and creeping juniper. The bed on the bottom is dominated by cactus, milkweed, silvery lupine, sunflower, yucca, and goldenrod.