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!

Plant of the Month- March

Euphorbia milli

Euphorbia milli, known commonly as Christ plant, the Crown of Thorns or Christ’s Thorn, is a species of succulent shrub in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae.

This shrub is found natively in Madagascar and can be grown successfully in zones 10-12. In our climate, Euphorbia milli will need to be brought in to be over-wintered inside or grown as a house plant.

The common names reference the 1/2-inch long thick black thorns which cover the stems. Some believe that the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ at the crucifixion was fashioned from the stems of this plant. The inconspicuous greenish flowers lack both petals and sepals and are surrounded by colourful bracts which are often mistaken for the flowers themselves. These bright red and yellow bracts are extremely showy and long-lasting and in their native environment will bloom throughout the year. As a houseplant Euphorbia milli tends to begin blooming in the winter and will continue with sporadic blooms until the fall.

Euphorbia milli - OXA plant of the Month for March 2024
Euphorbia milli red variety OXA plant of the month March 2024

In its native Madagascar, these Euphorbia can reach heights of six feet, but as a houseplant will remain a more manageable two feet tall and wide. Christ plant is tolerant of drought and poor, rocky soils. Euphorbias secret a milky, waxy sap when damaged which can cause skin irritation and even blindness so gardeners should take care when working with these plants. Gloves are highly recommended.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Don Burnett, host of Gardening into the Future

Xeriscape 101 Class

Covering the basic 7 Principles of Xeriscape Gardening

Presenting the class is Sigrie Kendrick, author of the column Gardening with Nature, executive director of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association, and a Master Gardener and xeriscape specialist.

Date & Time:
Wednesday, March 20
Participants will meet in the OXA demonstration garden outside the H2O Centre at 6:30 pm before the class start at 7 pm

Location:
H2O Adventure + Fitness Centre
4075 Gordon Drive

Cost:
$40 for OXA members
$50 for non-members

Dig with Sig will return in the Spring

OXA Spring Plant Sale

This year’s annual OXA Spring Plant Sale will be held Saturday, May 11 at the greenhouses of Wild Bloom Nursery on Old Vernon Road in Kelowna, with a members-only pre-sale and meet and greet on-site the evening previous.

Keep updated by friending OXA on Facebook or Instagram to receive our social media information, and check back here for more details closer to the event.

Dig with Sig will return in the Spring

Dig with Sig

This popular weekly drop-in allows you to work with Sigrie Kendrick, OXA’s executive director and master gardener, helping with garden maintenance. At the same time, you can ask questions to learn more about drought-tolerant plants, gardening with nature, and xeriscape landscaping. It’s a win-win!

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

We will be back working in the garden again in the early spring 2024!

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.

Pollinator-Friendly Gardens

How to attract and keep pollinators in your xeriscape garden. Article by guest author Pat Zander.

Prepping for Winter

Find out why to leave the leaves, don’t mow down the grasses
and allow perennials and annuals to go to seed.

Plant Hardiness Zones for the Okanagan

Knowing the plant hardiness zone of your garden is vital to choosing the right plants. It is a relatively simple concept that has some complications.

Extreme Weather Gardening

Both extreme heat and extreme cold can cause damage to plants. Find out what we can do to help.

On inspiration and irrigation

Hiking around the Okanagan is a wonderful opportunity to bring home inspiration for your own
landscapes, as well as a reminder that it is very dry out there.

Invasive Plants Danger

Invasive plants reduce biodiversity and pose a significant threat to agricultural crops, wildlife habitat, water quality and native plant ecosystems.

Plants for Slope Retention

A cost-effective, low-maintenance and eco-friendly solution to retain your slope is to look at Mother Nature

Help our Pollinators

How can we keep vital pollinators thriving with your plant choices in the spring and fall?

Conserve Water with Xeriscape

Consider allocating a portion of your garden to native Okanagan plants which thrive in our semi-arid valley.

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 and Okanagan WaterWise 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.

link to Make Water Work logo