The Okanagan Xeriscape Association

Welcome

You have just opened the door to a whole new way of looking at your landscape, whether that’s the yard around a house; the landscaping around your condo; the entrance to your business; or the welcome to a new home or subdivision you’ve built.

The Okanagan Xeriscape Association is a registered charity founded in 2009 to help people Garden with Nature, conserving water and energy in the process, but creating beauty.

Join us.
Support us.
Enjoy our website and extensive plant database of waterwise plants.
Come to a class or workshop.
Visit our Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens in Kelowna and West Kelowna.
Learn while volunteering. Ask questions of our experts.

By learning more about xeriscape, you are learning how to create colourful, attractive outdoor spaces while minimizing your use of water—a resource that’s in short supply in the arid Okanagan climate, as well as elsewhere.

That means you save money on water, but at the same time, when you employ xeriscape principles you also save money on pesticides because you’re growing plants that suit their natural environment so they are less vulnerable to insects and diseases.

OXA UnH2O Garden September 2023
Contact Us: admin@okanaganxeriscape.org

We would love you to join us!

Where to Meet OXA This Month

September 20th–
OXA Annual Fall Plant Sale
Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm at the UnH2O Demonstration Garden on Gordon Drive in Kelowna, in front of the H2O Aquatic Centre.

Okanagan Xeriscape Association (OXA) logo

Plant of the Month- September

Verbena bonariensis

Verbena bonariensis, commonly known as purpletop vervain or tall verbena, is a distinctive perennial that has become a favorite among garden designers and wildlife enthusiasts alike. Native to South America, particularly Argentina and Brazil, this striking member of the Verbenaceae family brings an airy, naturalistic quality to garden borders and meadow plantings.

The plant’s most notable feature is its striking architectural form, reaching heights of 3-6 feet with slender, square stems that branch sparingly. These tall, wiry stems are topped with clusters of tiny, tubular purple flowers arranged in flat-topped corymbs. The blooms appear from midsummer through fall, creating a misty purple haze effect that seems to float above other plants in the garden.

Despite its height, Verbena bonariensis has a delicate, see-through quality that prevents it from overwhelming neighboring plants. The narrow, toothed leaves are relatively sparse, concentrated mainly at the base and lower portions of the stems. This open structure allows the plant to weave seamlessly through mixed borders without blocking views or creating visual barriers.

Verbena bonariensis- OXA Plant of the Month for September 2025

Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators find the nectar-rich flowers irresistible, making this verbena an excellent choice for wildlife gardens. The plant is also valued by birds, who feed on the seeds in autumn and winter.

Cultivation is remarkably straightforward, as Verbena bonariensis thrives in full sun and well-draining soil. It demonstrates excellent drought tolerance once established and actually performs better in poor to moderately fertile soils. The plant readily self-seeds, often appearing in unexpected garden locations, though it’s not considered invasive.

While technically a tender perennial, it’s often treated as an annual in colder climates and is certainly considered as such here in the Okanagan; however, in USDA zones 7-11, it reliably overwinters. This versatile plant excels in cottage gardens, prairie-style plantings, and contemporary naturalistic designs, where its ethereal presence adds height, movement, and seasonal interest.

A pollinator enjoying Verbena bonariensis- OXA Plant of the Month for September 2025

UPCOMING EVENTS

DIG WITH SIG

FRIDAYS
Check our social media for up-to-date times and locations

This popular weekly drop-in allows you to spend time working with Sigrie Kendrick, OXA’s executive director and master gardener! This is a great opportunity to learn more about drought-tolerant plants and xeriscape landscaping.

You do not need to be an OXA member to join us in the garden– simply come along with gloves and a trowel.

Dig with Sig @ Home winner 2023

DIG WITH SIG @HOME CONTEST
Enter to win your own landscape maintenance crew!

Imagine having your own crew of gardeners, including xeriscape expert Sig Kendrick, for two hours, sprucing up your landscape!

One lucky OXA member will be chosen from those who enter for the opportunity to host Dig with Sig one Friday in October from 9-11 a.m.

To enter, send an email to: admin@okanaganxeriscape.org describing why your landscape should play host to Dig with Sig @ Home.

The winner will be announced at the Fall Plant Sale on September 20th.

Entries must be received before midnight, Thursday, September 18th.

Dig with Sig @ Home winner 2023
Dig with Sig returns in March 2025
We will have a wide variety of sedum available. Check back here for the sale Plant List coming soon,

OXA FALL PLANT SALE

Saturday, September 20th
10 am – 2 pm
UnH2O Demonstration Garden
4075 Gordon Drive, Kelowna

Did you know autumn is the best time of year to plant perennials? Fall planting allows root systems to establish before the heat and drought of spring and summer.

Connect with Master Gardeners, knowledgeable xeriscaping experts, and fellow gardeners while browsing native and drought-tolerant plants from OXA, XEN Nursery, and Wild Bloom Nursery. Plant smart this fall!

Refresh the UnH2O fundraiser
The UnH2O Demonstration Garden was established by OXA in September 2009. After a decade and a half, it is now time for a ReFresh! We would like to bring the seven themed gardens back to their full potential with updated informative signage, new varieties and cultivars to replace 15-year-old perennials, and updated irrigation systems to help with maintenance during the crucial first year of new growth and to conserve water thereafter.

Help us grow Xeriscape

When you support our campaign to Refresh the UnH2O as a business, organisation, individual, or family, you are helping ensure this vital community resource continues to thrive as a place where people learn that water conservation and beautiful landscapes go hand in hand.

Visit our fundraiser page to read complete details on this project, including all payment options and please join us!
This button will take you directly to CanadaHelps.org to make a donation.

Do you follow us?

If not, you really should check us out! Our social media pages are super informative and fabulous to follow especially for current events and seasonal information on everything xeriscape. Sharon Spring, OXA Vice President and Director of Social Media, does incredible and passionate work in creating content to promote OXA and xeriscape.

Follow us and take a good poke around through previous posts for gorgeous photos and great content.

OXA instagram

Our Blog

Our new blog, On The Dry Side, is an opportunity to share information on how to garden with nature while conserving water in the Okanagan Valley.

As a group blog and forum, we welcome your contributions and comments and hope to create a blossoming community of xeriscape gardeners as well as a valuable archive of articles.

Kill that Lawn

Find out the best ways to kill lawn to make room for a better alternative-sheet mulching, solarisation and more.

Deer-resistant Plants?

Looking for deer-resistant plants in the Okanagan? Discover smart plant choices and strategies to keep your garden thriving

Turf That Thirsty Lawn

Rethinking Lawns in the Okanagan- traditional turfgrass comes with a hefty environmental price tag.

Beneficial Insects

Find out how to attract and protect the many beneficial insects in your garden.

Planning for Pollinators

Creating a xeriscape pollinator garden requires thoughtful planning but offers tremendous rewards.

Embrace Native Plants

Adding Native Plants to your garden for their beauty and resilience.

Planting for Winter Birds

Learn how to plant trees and shrubs to support Okanagan birds through winter in your garden.

Saving Seeds

Whether you buy blooming plants and tall trees for your landscaping or plant seedlings and seeds—it all really begins with the collection of seeds from mature plants.

Wildfire Recovery Rockery

We lost our landscape in the 2023 wildfire. Our house was standing, but we had to replace the garden. This xeriscape rockery project transformed the ashes.

Learn

About Xeriscape

What is xeriscape and why it is perfect for the Okanagan environment? Learn how you can start conserving water in your own landscape.

7 Principles of Xeriscape

Find information on how to xeriscape for both new and established gardens, including a complete description of the Seven Principles of Xeriscape.

Xeriscape Classes

Current information about our Xeriscape Gardening Classes which run twice a year, in the spring and fall, as well as any other special workshops, classes or events.
Use our Okanagan Plant Database to help you find the best plants for your garden. Search criteria includes plant types, heights, spread, water/light conditions, bloom months, bloom colours, foliage colours and special features .

Get Inspired

The UnH2O Garden

A complete guide to each of our UnH2O Demonstration Garden themed beds– a 4,000 square foot garden, planted in 2010, which includes six theme areas to illustrate xeriscape possibilities. (See the Get Inspired tab in our main menu)

Xeriscape Stories

Our Xeriscape Garden Stories include photographs and stories showing xeriscape in action right here in several gardens in the Okanagan including winners from our 2011 and 2013 Xeriscape Garden Contests.

Resources

Informative resources, including an extensive list of the best books on xeriscape for our climate, links to websites, and a directory of xeriscape gardens to visit in the Okanagan, including our UnH2O and Spirit Square Garden.

We would like to thank the Okanagan Basin Water Board for their support and funding

Did you know?

  1. There is LESS water available per person in the Okanagan than anywhere else in Canada
  2. The Okanagan has one of the highest rates of water use per person in Canada
  3. The 2nd largest use of water in the Okanagan is for watering our household lawns & gardens

Here’s a reminder to check out the Make Water Work website to make your pledge to reduce water waste.

You will also find valuable information such as these useful PDF publications–
Make Water Works Tip Sheet and Make Water Works Plant Collection

Xeriscape is a very effective way to Make Water Work.