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.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Principles of xeriscape workshop
Kelowna
Date: Wednesday, February 18th
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Location: H2O multi-purpose room
Cost: $35 for 2026 members, $50 for non-members
Presenter: Sigrie Kendrick
Principles of xeriscape presentation
Osoyoos
Date: Saturday, February 28th
Time: 1:30 – 3 pm
Cost: No charge
Presenter: Sigrie Kendrick
Email info@osoyoos.ca to pre-register
Sponsored by The Town of Osoyoos and the Okanagan Basin Water Board
ANNUAL OXA MEMBERSHIP
2026 OXA memberships are now available!
Your support helps us maintain and update our website and extensive plant database, maintain our xeriscape demonstration gardens, and continue our work on water conservation benefits of xeriscape education.
Membership is just $35 for individuals, $55 for families, and $20 for students.
Sign up by Sunday, March 15th for an opportunity to win a $25 gift certificate for xeric plants!
OXA CHOSEN FOR AWARD
This fall, Communities in Bloom presented the Okanagan Xeriscape Association’s UnH2O demonstration garden with a Showcase Award after B.C. evaluators described it as “a living classroom for sustainable landscaping.”
Read the full story in our Blog
The UnH2O Demonstration Garden was established by OXA in September 2009. After a decade and a half, we need to ReFresh! We need updated signage, new plants and an updated irrigation system.
Visit our fundraiser page to read complete details on this project, including all payment options and please join us!
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 WORKSHOPS
Find out about upcoming workshops on waterwise gardening. We also offer presentations for groups or organizations.
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?
- 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.
