Library news

The Whitecourt & District Public Library hosted a workshop which featured information about gardening and different methods to get the best results. There were two presentations during the workshop as well as numerous gardening books on hand to rent from the library and a selection of free literature to take home.
During Dawn Fortin’s PowerPoint presentation, attendees learned about several invasive weeds in our area. Pictures were shown of different varieties including Purple Loosestrife which is considered a prohibited noxious weed by the province. Once established, though very pretty, this plant is extremely difficult to get rid of and it displaces other vegetation by depleting the nutrients to neighbouring plants. Though prohibited, these plants can still be purchased, which makes knowledge of what is allowed here and what isn’t, very important.
If you are wondering how to find out prior to purchasing, there’s an app called AB Weed Spotter and it lists weeds by characteristics such as colour, size, and pattern. It is very important to become informed, especially if you are a gardener, as you just might be planting a noxious weed capable of dishing out over a million seeds each year just as Purple Loosestrife can! Check out the library for more resources and a great selection of gardening-related books.