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 Garden in 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.

We would love you to join us! Find out more.

Join OXA

Events

Our new blog 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 well as a valuable archive of articles.

Did you know that the 2nd largest use of water in the Okanagan is used on our household lawns & gardens?

Here’s a reminder to check out the Make Water Work website to make your pledge to reduce water waste. Xeriscape is a very effective way to make water work.

Plant of the Month

Heterotheca villosa

I was unfamiliar with Heterotheca villosa before becoming introduced to it by Gwen Steele, co-founder of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

This Okanagan native, commonly known as Golden Aster, is one of the last perennials blooming in the late fall garden and has been putting on a show of blooms for months now, having started flowering in late June.

This perennial grows approximately 2 feet high and wide and features cheery golden blooms held above hairy silver foliage. These 2-inch diameter flowers are an excellent food source for many species of bees.

Heterotheca villosa is hardy to zone 4 and is extremely drought-tolerant, requiring only occasional irrigation in the hottest Okanagan summer months. This perennial performs best in full sun locations and will thrive in even poor soil as long as it is not too wet during the winter months.

Heterotheca villosa makes an excellent addition to rock gardens and naturalized areas. ‘Villosa’ means hairy in Latin and refers to the foliage which emits a sage-like aroma not favored by deer.

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 .

go to plant database

Get Inspired

The UnH2O Garden

A complete guide to our UnH2O Demonstration Garden – a 4,000 square foot garden, planted in 2010, which includes five theme areas to illustrate xeriscape possiblities.

Xeriscape Stories

Our Xeriscape Stories includes photographs and stories showing xeriscape in action right here 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 of interest and a directory of xeriscape gardens to visit in the Okanagan.

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