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.
Where to Meet OXA This Month
August–
Sigrie will be hosting Make Water Work days in participating nurseries. Please check this page as dates are added.
August 21–
OXA AGM will be held at 6:30pm at the H2O Aquatic Centre on Gordon Drive
Plant of the Month- August
Heterotheca villosa
Heterotheca villosa, commonly known as hairy golden aster or hairy false golden aster, is a resilient perennial wildflower native to western North America. This hardy member of the Asteraceae family has earned recognition for its adaptability and striking yellow blooms that brighten arid landscapes from late summer through fall.
This perennial is quite variable in size, typically growing 8 to 24 inches tall, forming compact clumps with multiple branching stems. As its name suggests, the entire plant is covered in dense, soft hairs that give it a grayish-green appearance and help it conserve moisture in harsh, dry conditions. The narrow, lance-shaped leaves are arranged alternately along the stems and can reach up to 3 inches in length.
Heterotheca villosa produces abundant small, daisy-like flowers with bright yellow ray petals surrounding golden-yellow disc centers. These cheerful blooms typically measure about half an inch across and appear in loose, branching clusters from August through October, providing crucial late-season nectar for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators when many other flowers have finished blooming.
This drought-tolerant species thrives in sandy soils, rocky slopes, prairies, and disturbed areas across its range, which extends from Canada south to Mexico and from the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast. Its deep taproot system allows it to access water sources unavailable to shallow-rooted plants, making it exceptionally well-suited to xeric environments.
In landscaping, Heterotheca villosa serves as an excellent choice for xeriscaping, native plant gardens, and naturalized areas. Its low maintenance requirements, extended blooming period, and wildlife value make it particularly valuable for sustainable gardening practices. The plant readily self-seeds, often establishing naturalized colonies that provide consistent habitat for beneficial insects and add reliable color to challenging growing sites where few other flowering plants can survive.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Check our social media for weekly location as we work on different projects!
DIG WITH SIG
FRIDAYS
9 – 11 am
4075 Gordon Drive, Kelowna
Get back into the garden to see what’s flowering, budding and buzzing this year! This popular weekly drop-in allows you to spend time working in The UnH2O Demonstration 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.
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.
