‘Use a lot less water': Environment Lethbridge plants new drought-resilient garden on city's west side

CTV News

30-05-2025

Drought-resistent plants are the focus of a new garden in Tartan Park in West Highlands in Lethbridge.
Conserving water and finding alternative planting options is the focus of a new garden installed on Lethbridge's west side.
A new drought-resilient garden has been installed in Tartan Park in West Highlands as a way to demonstrate the possibilities of drought-resilient landscaping in Lethbridge.
'The tree that you see is a honey locust tree, which is not a native species, but is drought-resilient,' said Kathleen Sheppard, executive director of Environment Lethbridge.
'We have some native shrubs like snowberry, spirea and then we have some native grasses and plants -- some of things you might see in the coulee like flax.'
The garden was built in partnership with the City of Lethbridge and funded by the Wawanesa Local Climate Champions Fund.
Sheppard hopes the project will not only add aesthetic value to the park but inspire homeowners to explore different landscaping options.
'So, drought tolerant plants --once they're established so it usually takes about a year where they need a little extra water to grow into their space -- will use a lot less water than plants that are not native to this area or just need more water overall to grow,' Sheppard said.
Planning for future
With water levels of the Oldman Reservoir sitting slightly below normal and a hot, dry summer forecasted, Sheppard says residents should be planning for the future now.
'Using drought-tolerant plants doesn't mean you have to use lots of rocks and lots of cactuses,' she said.
'Our weather is increasingly hot and dry and so that means if we want to have landscaping in our homes that doesn't consume so much water, then we need to be looking at some of these alternatives.'
The City of Lethbridge parks department is finding ways to be sustainable in its own spaces throughout the city.
'We do have a large list of trees that are resilient to the changing climate so those are being implemented in different urban parks,' said Raene Barber, sustainability engineer with the City of Lethbridge.
'As well, our parks department is doing naturalization projects within urban parks as well so looking at instead of planting turf grass, planting native species.'
The planting of drought-resilient plants marks the start of Environment Week in Lethbridge.
Tree planting
Both Environment Lethbridge and the city will host a tree planting event in Redwood, Lakeview and Columbia parks next week.
A Beyond the Bin recycling roundup will take place on June 7 at Park Place Mall. The event will be open to residents to bring paint, electronics and other challenging recyclables to be collected by the city.
The city will also be hosting a birding workshop and a 'how to build your own rain barrel' event throughout next week.
'Everything matters when it comes to the environment so even if it's something small that you're doing in your home, it absolutely makes a difference,' said Barber.
Next week is Environment Week! ♻️🌱
Join us each day as we share stories and practical tips to help reduce waste, save water and more.
Let's work together to protect our planet and build a greener future! 🌎💚
Follow along 👉 https://t.co/vs7m2yqnkY#yql#EnvironmentWeek pic.twitter.com/buCdOAO1RO — City of Lethbridge (@LethbridgeCity) May 30, 2025
Applications are now open for the city's environment incentive program. The program offers rebates for purchasing rain barrels and replacing old toilets with new low-flow toilets.
A full list of Environment Week activities can be found here.