NORTH BATTLEFORD - Giant hyssop to relieve lung ailments and buffalo sage to treat sore throats and colds.
A Healing Garden is now growing behind the Allen Sapp Gallery in North Battleford to educate young people and all visitors about medicinal plants native to the plains and native grasses.
"We encourage people to come and take medicine they need, observing protocols, and make sure you leave enough for others to use," said Leah Garven, the curator/manager of galleries for the City of North Battleford.
The garden was planted by permaculturalist Elizabeth Bekolay a few years ago.
"She does a lot of eco-education and garden design," said Garven.
Some of the medicinal plants grown in the garden include buffalo sage, horse sage, rose hips, wild bergamot, cedar and giant hyssop, to name a few.
Garven said that historically many of these plants would be made into medicinal teas or perhaps some could be used in a compound and applied to a wound for healing purposes.
"It's a wonderful asset in the neighbourhood, and in the gallery's programming and offering," said Garven of the garden. "We don't always have programs on the go out there, but this is certainly a place for people to go and explore, and have another little free venue amenity in our city."
The Healing Garden features identification signs beside all the plants and grasses for educational purposes.
The garden also offers a place to encourage pollination to improve the ecosystem. It provides a strong habitat for pollinators that travel through the area.
"The emphasis is more about the pollinators and the importance of pollinators in sustaining our earth," Garven said. "By cross-pollinating all our plants, trees and our crops, they're really critical in that eco-environment."
The Healing Garden was first planted 13 years ago and needed to be re-planted more recently due to some construction in the area.
"It was planted in the fall of 2023, so it's really hitting its peak of being established and thriving," Garven said.
