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.
Plant of the Month- October
Heliopsis helianthoides
Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra ‘Bleeding hearts’ is really putting on a show in both gardens and the greenhouse right now!
A departure from the common yellow false sunflower, this cultivar sports masses of daisy-like orange-red blooms that fade to a mellow mango orange with age.
The blooms reach up to four feet in height and are held above well-branching smokey purple foliage which contrasts nicely with the hot bright flowers. Heliopsis are relatively carefree, long-blooming perennials which look spectacular when mass-planted at the back of the border.
The cultivar ‘Bleeding hearts’ is hardy in zones 3-9 and therefore is an ideal choice for Okanagan gardens. These perennials are tolerant of hot, dry sites and will attract all manner of butterflies, pollinators, and song birds to your garden but are seldom bothered by deer.
Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Bleeding hearts’ makes an excellent cut flower as the blooms are long-lasting in a vase, so consider cutting some to enjoy in your home.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Xeriscape 101 Class
Sigrie Kendrick, author of the column Gardening with Nature, executive director of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association, and a Master Gardener and xeriscape specialist will cover the basic 7 Principles of Xeriscape Gardening in this upcoming class.
Date & Time:
Wednesday, October 16th
5:30 to 8 pm
The class includes half an hour in the OXA demonstration garden with Sigrie followed by the one-hour class followed by a question period
Location:
H2O Adventure + Fitness Centre upstairs classroom
4075 Gordon Drive
Cost:
$40 for OXA members
$50 for non-members
Dig with Sig
This popular weekly drop-in allows you to spend time working in the UH2O Garden 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.
FRIDAYS from 9 – 11 am
UnH2O Demonstration Garden – 4075 Gordon Drive in front of the H2O Adventure Centre
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.
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.
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
Xeriscape Classes
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 and Okanagan WaterWise for their support and funding
Did you know?
- There is LESS water available per person in the Okanagan than anywhere else in Canada
- The Okanagan has one of the highest rates of water use per person in Canada
- 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.
