GARDENING WITH NATURE

Article by Sigrie Kendrick

Use Fire-smart Plant Choices to Resist Wildfire

When designing landscapes in wildfire-prone areas, homeowners face the challenge of finding a balance between creating beautiful outdoor spaces while maintaining crucial fire protection for their homes.

Fortunately, several native plants offer both aesthetic appeal and FireSmart™ qualities.

Three standout choices, Mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii), Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), and Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) demonstrate that fire-wise landscaping doesn’t mean sacrificing beauty.

Visit the FireSmart website to learn about the best fire-resistant choices for your landscape.

MOCK ORANGE

Philadelphus lewisii, our native Mock Orange, is a deciduous shrub that typically reaches six to 10 feet tall, producing masses of white, fragrant flowers in late spring that evoke the scent of orange blossoms.

It earns its place in fire-smart gardens through several key characteristics–

• From a fire-safety perspective, Mock Orange excels because of its high moisture content and low resin levels. The plant’s broad, green leaves retain substantial water content throughout the growing season, making it less likely to ignite quickly.
• Unlike many ornamental shrubs, Mock Orange doesn’t accumulate significant dead material within its structure, reducing the fuel load when properly maintained. Its deciduous nature means it naturally drops leaves in fall rather than accumulating layers of dry, flammable debris as pyramid cedars tend to.
• Mock Orange responds well to pruning, allowing homeowners to maintain open spacing between branches that helps to prevent fire from easily moving through the plant’s structure.

Position Mock Orange 1.5 to 30 metres away from a structure where it can still provide privacy and beauty without endangering your home.

If you garden in a small space, consider the diminutive cultivar ‘Snowbelle’ which reaches only three to four feet tall and wide.

SMOOTH SUMAC

Rhus glabra, or Smooth Sumac brings both striking ornamental value and practical fire resistance to Okanagan landscapes.

This native shrub features compound leaves that turn brilliant shades of orange and red in autumn, followed by persistent crimson fruit clusters that feed overwintering birds.

Growing eight to 15 feet tall, Smooth Sumac spreads through rhizomes to form colonies, making it excellent for erosion control on slopes.

The fire-smart qualities of smooth sumac lie in its structure and composition–

• The plant maintains relatively high moisture levels in its foliage and stems during active growth.
• Its leaves are broad and flat, with smooth surfaces that don’t trap heat or encourage rapid flame spread.
• While Smooth Sumac does produce some woody material, it lacks the volatile oils found in many drought-tolerant plants.
• This species naturally self-prunes lower branches as it matures, creating vertical separation from ground fuels, a critical feature in fire-safe landscaping.

Regular maintenance enhances Smooth Sumac’s defensive qualities. Remove dead canes annually and thin colonies to prevent excessive density.

Space individual clumps of plants at least 10 feet apart to create natural firebreaks within your landscape.

SASKATOOON

Amelanchier alnifolia, commonly known as Saskatoon, is also suitable for planting along the perimeter of the intermediate zone, which is 1.5 to 10 metres away from a structure. It possesses several characteristics that make it a valuable addition to FireSmart™ landscaping.

This native Okanagan shrub is considered a fire-resistant plant due to its high moisture content in leaves and stems, which helps slow the spread of flames.

It maintains relatively lush foliage throughout the growing season, contributing to its lower flammability rating compared to many conifers or plants with resinous leaves.

Additionally, the Saskatoon can be pruned and maintained at a manageable height, allowing homeowners to keep it as a compact shrub rather than allowing it to develop into a taller bush, which could provide ladder fuel that may carry fire from ground level into the tree canopy.

When planted as part of a well-maintained FireSmart™ landscape with adequate spacing, Amelanchier alnifolia can serve both aesthetic and protective functions, offering beautiful white spring flowers followed by edible berries while contributing to a defensible space around structures in our wildfire-prone valley.

All three of these plants share critical FireSmart™ characteristics– high moisture content, low volatile oil production, deciduous habits that prevent excessive dead material accumulation, and growth habits that make them amenable to maintenance pruning.

Combine them throughout your defensible space, maintaining adequate spacing that prevents fire from jumping between bushes.

Remember that even fire-resistant plants require proper maintenance, such as regular removal of any dead material.

With these three beautiful fire-smart plant choices, you can create a landscape that’s both defensible from fire and drought-tolerant.

Sigrie Kendrick is a master gardener and executive-director of the non-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

GARDENING WITH NATURE

Article by Sigrie Kendrick

Why Native Plants?

Our Okanagan Valley features a unique ecosystem, shaped by hot, dry summers and cold winters. This distinctive climate has resulted in a diverse array of native plants that are not only beautiful but also incredibly resilient. Native plants have evolved over thousands of years to flourish in the Okanagan’s specific conditions. This means they require less water, fertilizer, and overall maintenance than many non-native species. By incorporating these plants into your garden, you’re not only creating a low-maintenance space but also supporting local ecosystems and wildlife. As climate change continues to impact our region, the resilience of native plants becomes increasingly valuable.

Gardening with native Okanagan plants offers a unique opportunity to connect with the natural heritage of our region. It’s a chance to create outdoor spaces that are not only visually stunning but also ecologically responsible.

By embracing native Okanagan plants in our gardens, we’re not just creating beautiful spaces, we’re actively participating in conservation efforts. These plants help preserve biodiversity, reduce water consumption, and create habitat for local insects and wildlife.

Balsamorhiza sagittata–
Arrowleaf Balsamroot

Minimal Water Needs

Water conservation is a crucial consideration in the Okanagan and native plants are the perfect solution. Species like Artemisia tridentata (Big Sagebrush), Pseudoroegneria spicata (Bluebunch Wheatgrass) and Balsamorhiza sagittata (Arrowleaf Balsamroot) have developed deep root systems and other adaptations to thrive with minimal water. These plants are just a few examples of those native perennials which can help reduce your water usage while still maintaining an attractive landscape.

Ecosystem Suppport

By planting native plants, you’re essentially rolling out the welcome mat for local wildlife. The bright purple tubular flowers of the Penstemon fruticosus (Shrubby Penstemon) will supply early nectar for pollinators along with the Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape). Following in the season will be the lilac-coloured blooms of both Aster conspicuus (Showy aster) and Monarda fistulosa (Bergamont). In the fall, Heterotheca villosa (Golden Aster) and Aster ericoides (Tufted Prairie Aster) provide late-season nectar for pollinators. Native plants offer a wide range of textures and forms to add interest to your garden. The groundcover Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Kinnikinnick) will serve as a living mulch while the tall Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoon) adds vertical interest.

Geum triflorum–
Prairie Smoke

Visually Stunning

Contrary to the misconception that native plants lack visual appeal, the Okanagan boasts a wide variety of fantastic flowering species. For instance, in our update of the Native Plant Garden, we will be incorporating a planting of Linum lewisii (Lewis Blue Flax) and Gaillardia aristata (Brown-Eyed Susan) for a stunning contrast of blue and yellow blooms. Also included in the new planting will be my go-to shade of red with a planting of Ipomopsis aggregata (Scarlet gilia). And, I am beyond excited to include one of my favourite natives, Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke), the reddish-pink blooms of which are followed by fascinating, fluffy seed heads which resemble puffs of smoke.

Native Plant Tips

• Start small by incorporating a few native species into your existing garden. As you become more comfortable, you can gradually increase the proportion of native plants. Local nurseries such as Wild Bloom in Kelowna and XEN in West Kelowna are excellent resources for both plants and advice about native plants.
• Remember, even native plants need some care, especially when first establishing. Supplement them with regular water during the first growing season to help them develop strong root systems. After that, most species will require minimal attention, perfect for those of you who are already time-stressed.
• Look for native plants thriving naturally around you when you walk or hike in the forest and meadows and get to know them, including their Latin names. You can find some in our extensive plant database, but another good resource for this region is Plants of Southern Interior B.C. by R. Parish, Coupe and Lloyd.
• Plant for succession throughout the seasons so there’s always something to feed local pollinators and wildlife.
• Do not dig up plants in the wild to transplant into your garden. Instead, source them at nurseries specializing in native plants, or harvest a few seeds once the flowers are spent. It can be tricky to propagate native plants, so do your research first and then be patient.
• If you cannot find a specific plant, an alternative is to look for cousins in local nurseries. Once you know the Latin name, you know the family to look for.
• Finally, don’t limit yourself to annuals or perennials. Consider planting native shrubs and trees as well.

Lewisia rediviva, or Bitterroot,  is an Okanagan Valley native wildflower that thrives on rocky, open outcroppings

Lewisia cotyledon, a California native, available in Okanagan nurseries

Check our Plant Database for more information on the plants mentioned above.

Sigrie Kendrick is a master gardener and executive-director of the non-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

GARDENING WITH NATURE

Article by Sigrie Kendrick

Great Garden Choices

Clearly, change is afoot when it comes to gardening in the Okanagan.

Many of you may remember a column two years ago, in which I decried some of the garden choices featured on that summer’s public garden tour.

The chosen gardens were stunningly beautiful, of course, but featured plantings which would be unsustainable, when, not if, stringent water restrictions were implemented.

One garden was all hydrangeas, which require considerable water, and another consisted of 10 acres of turf grasses, beautiful in their own way, but by no means sustainable in our hot and dry summers.

I was elated this year to see many gardens on the FlowerPower garden tour focusing on both sustainability and water-wise gardening. Four of the nine gardens featured had no turf in their front yards. That’s right, no grass.

One had an enormous patch of flowering thyme, which was absolutely beautiful. If no one had been watching, I would have laid down in it so that I arose clothed in its delightful aroma.

Another garden featured a stunning meadow planting comprised of native and non-native xeriscape plants. I was in heaven.

Meadow plantings look deceptively easy but they are actually one of the hardest to master and this design team did master the meadow garden.

Yet another garden featured beds of drought-tolerant plants and shrubs accessed via a path planted with xeric groundcovers.

There was a cactus garden. Another featured garden was planted with xeriscape plants that also had to be wildlife-resistant. In fact, mere minutes after the tour ended and we left that property, the owner took a video capturing a young bear swaggering past.

Wow, what a difference a couple of years have made. Rather than leaving the tour disheartened and despondent, I left higher than a kite, grinning from ear to ear. Thank you to all involved for acknowledging today’s reality and showcasing gardens created by gardeners, for gardeners, gardens which are not only aesthetically-pleasing but also environment-conscious.

Typically, volunteers working on the tour are given a pre-tour, enabling them to see all the gardens on the day prior. There was something different this time. The energy was new and fresh. The gardens featured were vastly different from each other but all were stunningly beautiful and thought-provoking.

If these gardens are any indication, then we are actually changing, We, as gardeners, are making choices that are not based on an outdated perception of beauty. Instead, we are seeing beauty in the imperfect, the uncommon, the sustainable, in plant selections chosen less for our eyes and more for the benefit of pollinators and even edibility. What a monumental shift.

Many of the plants featured on the tour can be found on both our plant database and at makewaterwork.ca. This spring, the Make Water Work Plant List was updated to include FireSmart indicators for the plants on the list, thereby allowing you to choose both drought-tolerant and fire-resistant plants.

The Make Water Work challenge encourages homeowners to pledge to make water work smarter on their landscapes. Think about how you use your water and how you can make better choices about that consumption. 

I will be touring Okanagan nurseries and garden centres throughout the gardening season, supporting the many benefits of the Make Water Work plant list and campaign. Keep an eye on our social media for my schedule and stop in to say “hi” and to talk all things xeriscape.

Instead of front lawn, this Kelowna homeowner opted to plant a wild meadow with drought-tolerant gaillardia and blue flax, along with other perennials, for this showy front yard that was part of this year’s Kelowna Garden Tour.

The Okanagan Xeriscape Association is grateful for the ongoing financial support of the Okanagan Basin Water Board and is proud to be collaborating with them on their Make Water Work campaign.

Sigrie Kendrick is a master gardener and executive-director of the non-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

Cultivate a Bat-Friendly garden

Guest Article by BC Community Bat Programs

How can you support the bats?

Spring is at our doorstep! This is the most exciting season for gardeners and nature lovers. This year, we encourage everyone to try something new– gardening for BATS!

The Okanagan is home to at least 14 different species of insect-eating bats – the highest diversity of bats in the province. Supporting pollinators in your garden helps to support bats as they prey on insects at night. Since bats are active from dusk to dawn, having night-blooming flowers in your garden attracts nighttime moths which are a great source of protein for bats. This practice is called moonlight gardening!

Join us in cultivating bat-friendly gardens and nurturing the rich biodiversity of the North Okanagan:

• Start planning early. Opt for native perennial plants – contact local plant nurseries to get your seeds.
• Choose plants with long flowering season or those that flower at different times of the year.
• Variety is key! Pick plants with different flower colour, shape, and fragrance.
• Don’t spring into garden clean up too soon. Wait until temperatures stay consistently above 10°C to start to start raking and pruning. Many pollinators like bees and butterflies are wintering in dead leaves and hollow stems of last-year plants. Bats and snakes sometimes also sleep under leaves and in wood piles.
• Invasive species like burdock can entangle bats and birds. Regularly remove weeds from your garden. If you plan on harvesting burdock, please be responsible and prune out the flowers before they go to seed and become traps for bats.

Invasive species like burdock can entangle bats

If you plan on harvesting burdock, please be responsible and prune out the flowers before they go to seed and become traps for bats.
Photo by: Ken Dzinbal

• Pesticides and chemical fertilizers kill insects and poison wildlife. Practice organic gardening by avoiding chemical products. Try composting to provide organic nutrients in your garden.
• Fact: Bats fertilize gardens with their nitrogen-rich guano (bat poop). Attract bats to have a natural source of guano fertilizer in your garden.
• Switch outdoor light bulbs to “warm” toned or filtered LEDs (under 3,000K) to reduce light pollution that harms bats and other animals. Dimmers, motion sensors, and timers can help to reduce illumination and save energy.
• Keep pets indoors or supervised outdoors to avoid predation on bats and birds.
• Keep dead-standing trees (if it is safe to do so) and mature trees on your property to provide roosting areas for hard-working bats. Peeling tree bark and bark crevices are great homes for bats.
• If you have a lake, creek or wetland by your house – great! Protect natural water-side vegetation; it provides vital food, shelter and water to wildlife.
• Consider adding a garden pond to create a biodiversity oasis in your backyard. Ponds need to be at least 3m wide to serve as drinking sources for bats.

Download the Bat-Friendly Gardening in the Okanagan PDF 

A Pollinator-Friendly Garden

Article by Pat Zander

Pollinator Attraction

My husband and I have always tried to attract birds to our garden. That meant planting shrubs
and perennials that would be sources of food and shelter, and minimizing the use of pesticides
that might harm.

Then we got a hive of honey bees and found that many of the same principles apply. In
particular, bees need a good and consistent source of pollen and nectar-rich flowers during the
warm season. And being very careful with pesticides is even more critical. As they feed, they
are moving pollen around and fertilizing the flowers. The majority of our food crops need these
busy little critters to accomplish this for them before they can produce seeds or fruit.

At one time, I thought there was nothing more entertaining in the garden than watching a
couple of robins bathe in the fountain. However, watching a bee wiggle her way into a tubular
flower and then wiggle back out, covered with pollen, is right up there too. It is a huge bonus
that I am now more aware of all the other pollinators that come our way. With awareness
comes appreciation. I’ve seen three different species of bumblebees “working” the same
patch of flowers, a tiny bee the size of an ant navigating a Hydrangea bloom, and the delicate
scalloping leafcutter bees make on a rose leaf.

Some Familiar Easy to Grow Favourites

Early Spring:
Crocus | Glory of the Snow | Pasque Flowers |  Snowdrops |  Tulips | Hazelnut | Pussywillows

Late Spring:
Allium |  Lilac | Saskatoons | Elderberry | Blossoming Berries |  Blossoming Fruit Trees and Shrubs | Oregon grape

Summer:
Beebalm |  Catmint |  Coneflower |  Dill | Fennel | Globe Thistle | Hyssop |  Jupiter’s Beard | 
Lavender |  Lambs Ears | Mint | Russian Sage | Salvia; | Snapdragons |  Veronica |  Yarrow | Butterfly Bush | Ninebark | Rose of Sharon

Late Summer into Fall:
Autumn Joy Sedum | Sunflowers |  Bluebeard (Caryopteris) | Russian Sage

I have mentioned only the plants in our garden which I know to be pollinator favourites. There
are hundreds more. A quick search on the internet will provide lists of appropriate choices;
borderfreebees.com is a good one. Also, do check out the plant list and images on OXA’s Pollinator Garden in the UnH2O Demonstration Garden on this site. 

It is also worth noting that native plants are the most appropriate for feeding native insect
species. Bonus that they are really easy on the water.

Living in the Okanagan where fruit growing is an important industry, gives us even more reason
to encourage healthy populations of pollinators.

Oh, and if you happen to have a few dandelions in your lawn, you are serving bee candy. Now
there’s an excuse to avoid hours on your knees digging them out.

Article by Mark Godlewski

While it is a complex topic, the main tool used by the horticulture industry to judge which healthy plants likely to survive winter conditions is Plant Hardiness Zones. Most nursery plants are assigned a Plant Hardiness Zone based on their ability to survive winters in a given climate. Those zones range from 1-13 and are based on the harshest historical winter conditions averaged over a period of 20 or 30 years. Zone 1 represents the worst winter conditions.

You can see the Government of Canada plant hardiness zones displayed in map form (see Figure 1). These small-scale maps, however, cannot capture local variation. That is why looking up your municipality is a better option using the following Government of Canada website.

Canadian Government Plant Hardiness for BC

Figure 1 – Canadian Plant Hardiness for BC

GARDENING WITH NATURE

Extreme weather taking its toll on gardens

For instance, do not prune your plants in the heat.
Periods of intense heat are stressful for your plants, and pruning, especially thinning, will only serve to
increase this stress.

Removing leaf matter increases the effects of heat on the remaining vegetation, decreasing the humidity
and therefore forcing the remaining leaves to transpire more to cool the plant.

This often has disastrous results.

Another no-no in periods of extreme heat is fertilizing your plants.

Try to make sure your garden has the nutrients necessary for plant health prior to any spike in
temperature.

Adding fertilizer is almost akin to adding salt to your soil as fertilizer essentially makes it harder for your
plants to access the water in the soil. High concentrations of nutrients actually reverse osmosis, the process by which a plant is able to absorb water from the soil. The osmotic pressure is reversed so that the pressure outside the roots becomes greater than inside, making plants unable to access moisture from the soil and they actually lose water back into the surrounding ground.

Planting in the heat of summer is not ideal

Out of necessity, the landscape industry must continue to plant throughout the hottest summer weather but this is far from an ideal situation.

If at all possible delay your planting to the coolness of shorter days in late summer when the ambient air
temperature has decreased but the warm soil necessary for strong root establishment exists.

If you must plant in high heat, at least offer supplemental shade for new plantings by using shade cloth or, in a pinch, an old white sheet.

This shade is even more vital if you are planting in an area of ‘high albedo’. High albedo environments occur where there is a great deal of reflection such as found in a rock garden. This reflective sunlight will damage young plants that can not transpire enough in the high heat to cool their leaves and almost immediately begin exhibiting heat stress.

Unusual snowfall in early November 2022 landed on trees whos leaves had not had time to drop yet

At the other end of the spectrum, severe winter weather caused considerable havoc in Okanagan gardens, as well as in commercial orchards and vineyards.

The weather we have experienced over the last two years has had severe repercussions for our trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, and ornamental grasses.

In the Okanagan Xeriscape Association’s demonstration garden, we saw the complete loss of several Lavenders and Penstemon and extensive injury to several of our trees from the 2022/2023 winter. The Parrotia persica, the Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Twisty Baby’ and the Koelreuteria all have suffered winter damage, and the latter has had to be removed. It’s a heart-breaking loss.

I have heard other Master Gardeners around the valley sharing similar stories of witnessing first-hand deaths of these plants as well as Buddleia, Hybiscus syriacus and various ornamental grasses.

I know that the long warm fall followed by the extreme and abrupt cold experienced in the beginning of November was to blame for much of the damage, similar to your forgotten frozen water bottle exploding, but I wanted to know more. It was hard to ignore that many of our trees held their browned leaves through the winter, never having the chance to drop them as they normally would, with last fall’s sudden lurch from summer into winter.

I consulted with plant pathologist Robert Hogue of Pegasus Horticultural to gain a better understanding of the physiological process which had wreaked such havoc.

Robert explained that it all actually began with the Heat Dome of 2021 when plant tissue was damaged by the extreme heat, registering into the mid-40s.

Like people, plants go into a low-energy state in extreme heat. In survival mode plants do not process as much carbon dioxide, leading to less carbohydrates moving into the roots. This lack of carbon dioxide means the roots receive less sugars which compromises the ability of the roots to absorb the necessary water and nutrients from the soil.

This in turn leads to root death and with the death of large woody roots comes the death of the organism as a whole. This root death also occurred last fall with the abrupt arrival of winter when the roots were still actively growing.

As Robert explained, ‘The abrupt cessation of metabolic activity in the above-ground plant parts meant there was not enough nutrient flow to the roots to complete the suberization process’.

Suberization is the process by which the root walls harden off into corky tissue similar to a callus over a wound. These weakened feeder roots act as an entry for many root pathogens such as Fusarium, Pythium, and Verticillium.

The damage can be immediate, as seen this spring when the plant abruptly died after a seemingly normal leaf-out; but in other cases there will be a slow but inevitable death.

Robert has done extensive research on the hardiness of plant life in the valley and has come to the conclusion that we simply can not rely on traditional plant hardiness ratings in our changing climate.

Gardening with Nature

Article by Sigrie Kendrick

Keep vital pollinators thriving with your plant choices

Pollinators have great access to food during the summer months when there is a buffet of flowers
blooming on every corner and in every meadow—but what about food for them in early spring and late
fall?

We need to make plant choices for our landscapes that are focused on extending the seasonal banquet
table for these vital little critters by choosing pollinator-friendly plants that provide food for them on the
shoulders of summer.

That should include both native and non-native xeric plants which will require little supplemental irrigation
once established, so we’re not wasting any of our precious resource, water.

It’s estimated that 90 percent of flowering plants need pollinators such as bees and butterflies to
reproduce. That includes a third of the food we eat, such as nuts, fruit, vegetables, and herbs that require
insect pollination.

As we pave over wild lands and build on meadows, we destroy natural habitat and food for pollinators, so
it’s essential that we pay more attention to planting food sources to keep these little insects alive and
thriving and reverse the current trend of their decline.

Recently the Okanagan Xeriscape Association collaborated with Kelowna Rotary Clubs on the creation
of two pollinator gardens located at Sarsons Beach Park, 4398 Hobson Rd. and Cameron Park, 2345
Richter St. in Kelowna.

These gardens have been a year in the making and it was fantastic to finally get shovels in the ground as
OXA, Rotary, and Kelowna’s Parks Department worked together to design and ultimately plant up these
spaces.

Both were designed to have both early and late-blooming perennials to support longer access to food for
pollinators.

Early bloomers in the gardens are the shrub Amelanchier alnifolia, commonly known as Saskatoon berry,
Corsican violets and the native Penstemon fruiticosus or Shrubby Penstemon.

We also included several Achillea millefolium, known commonly as Yarrow, as studies from Simon Fraser
University have shown that this perennial, which is native to the Okanagan, is by far the most appealing
to the largest number of pollinators.

Achillea millefolium will be visited by Hairy Belly Bees, Sweat Bees, Mining Bees, Butterflies, Flies,
Wasps, and Beetles.

With prompt removal of the blooms, we should get 3 bloom periods from the Achillea millefolium as well
as the Nepeta racemosa that we planted. It’s a standout pollinator perennial.

Blooming later in the season, Asclepias speciosa, Showy Milkweed, will support Monarch butterflies as
this perennial is a host plant for females to lay their eggs.

The exceptionally long-blooming Colorado Gold Gazania and Coronado Red Hyssop will round out the
season, blooming until frost.

All of the plants selected were purchased from responsible growers as many nursery plants have been
treated with toxic insecticides, known as neo-nicotinoids, which are harmful to pollinators.

Pollinator Corridor

Rotary Clubs of Kelowna have partnered with Rotary Clubs across the B.C. Interior to establish a
pollinator corridor stretching from Clearwater to Osoyoos to support the growth in populations of bees,
butterflies and other pollinators in our valley.

Visit these public gardens to see the bee-friendly gardens in person and consider planting a pollinator
garden in your own backyard to provide support for these little heroes, who are suffering from the
effects of pollution and climate change.

Sigrie Kendrick is a Master Gardener and Executive-Director of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association. She can be reached at 778-363-8360 or by email at exec_dir@okanaganxeriscape.org.