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.
Plant of the Month- January
Viola tricolour
Although not typically considered a xeriscape plant, these diminutive beauties, sited on my patio, receive very little supplemental irrigation and are actually quite drought-tolerant. They have been blooming since September and, with our recent mild weather, continue to do so, brightening the gloomy winter days and are worthy of feature as Plant of the Month.
Viola tricolour, commonly known as the wild pansy, heartsease, or Johnny-jump-up, is a delightful European wildflower that has captured hearts for centuries. This small but mighty plant, belonging to the violet family Violaceae, displays cheerful blooms in combinations of colours, hence its scientific name “tricolour,” meaning three colors. Blooming in shades of blue, purple, orange, yellow, burgundy, white, and near-black, with many multicoloured varieties, these are tough, fast-growing, self-seeders. Native to Europe and temperate regions of Asia, this hardy annual or short-lived perennial thrives in meadows, wastelands, and cultivated fields. The plant typically grows 6 to 8 inches tall, with delicate flowers measuring about half an inch across. Each bloom features distinctive face-like markings, with dark lines radiating from the center.
Viola tricolour is also the ancestor of the modern garden pansy (Viola × wittrockiana), developed through extensive breeding in the 19th century. While cultivated pansies now boast larger blooms in countless color combinations, many gardeners still cherish the wild pansy’s modest charm and natural grace. This resilient little flower continues to brighten gardens and wild spaces, reminding us that beauty often comes in small, unpretentious packages. Viola tricolour are typically more heat and drought-tolerant than pansies and worth including in any garden.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Principles of xeriscape workshop
Kelowna
OXA is offering an updated Principles of Xeriscape workshop this winter. Sigrie Kendrick will integrate new information on using Okanagan native plants in your garden and will also explain how xeriscape and FireSmart can coexist in a water-conscious garden. This workshop format will allow lots of time for questions.
Date: Wednesday, February 18th
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Location: H2O multi-purpose room
Cost:$35 for 2026 members, $50 for non-members
Principles of xeriscape workshop
Osoyooos
Learn how to create a more water-conscious garden using the fundamentals of xeriscape landscaping in this 1.5-hour presentation. You will also learn how Okanagan native plants can be used to enhance the climate-resilience of your garden and how xeriscape can co-exist with FireSmart guidelines.
Presented by Sigrie Kendrick, Okanagan Xeriscape Association, executive director and xeriscape expert.
Date: Saturday, February 28th
Time: 1:30 – 3 pm
Cost: No charge
Please email info@osoyoos.ca to pre-register
This presentation is 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. Benefits include nursery and class discounts, early access to our plant sales and so much more.
Sign up by Sunday, March 15th for an opportunity to win a $25 gift certificate for xeric plants!
OXA CHOSEN FOR AWARD
Communities in Bloom, Canada’s premier horticulture organization, celebrates community beautification and environmental action across the country. Its prestigious Showcase Awards recognize projects that exemplify innovation, sustainability, and community engagement.
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.” The recognition affirms the long-standing vision of co-founder Gwen Steele and the Association’s lasting influence on how Okanagan residents think about water, native plants, and the landscape.
Read the full story in our Blog
Help us grow Xeriscape
When you support our campaign to Refresh the UnH2O as a business, organisation, individual, or family, you are helping ensure this vital community resource continues to thrive as a place where people learn that water conservation and beautiful landscapes go hand in hand.
Visit our fundraiser page to read complete details on this project, including all payment options and please join us!
DIG WITH SIG
Finished for the year!
Our weekly drop-in will return in the Spring.
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 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.
