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- February
Galanthus nivalis
Galanthus nivalis, commonly known as the snowdrop, is a small bulbous perennial plant that has captured the hearts of gardeners and nature enthusiasts worldwide. Native to Europe and parts of the Middle East, this delicate flower is one of the earliest bloomers in the garden calendar, often pushing through frozen soil and even snow cover to display its pristine white flowers.
The botanical name offers insight into its nature – “Galanthus” derives from Greek words meaning “milk flower,” while “nivalis” refers to snow, aptly describing both its appearance and its winter-blooming habit. The snowdrop typically grows to about 15 centimeters in height, with narrow, blue-green leaves and a single pendant flower consisting of three outer tepals and three shorter inner tepals marked with green.
What makes snowdrops particularly remarkable is their ability to flower in the coldest months of the year, usually between January and March in the Northern Hemisphere. This is made possible by several adaptations, including antifreeze proteins in their tissues that prevent damage from freezing temperatures. The drooping posture of the flowers also serves a practical purpose, protecting the plant’s reproductive parts from rain, snow, and cold winds.
Snowdrops contain compounds of medical interest, notably galantamine, which is used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. This alkaloid was first isolated from snowdrops and related species in the Amaryllidaceae family, showcasing how even the smallest garden plants can hold significant pharmaceutical value.
For garden enthusiasts, snowdrops inspire a particular passion, sometimes leading to “galanthomania” – the obsessive collection of different snowdrop varieties. Despite their seemingly simple appearance, there are over 20 species and hundreds of cultivars differing in size, flowering time, and the patterns of green markings on their inner tepals. Some rare varieties can fetch prices in the hundreds of dollars for a single bulb.
Planting snowdrops is straightforward, though they prefer partial shade and humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. They naturalize readily in suitable conditions, forming impressive carpets over time. Most effectively, they are planted “in the green” – that is, shortly after flowering when still in leaf, rather than as dry bulbs.
For many gardeners, the sight of the first snowdrops emerging marks a significant moment in the yearly cycle – a promise that spring, with all its abundance, is on its way.
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.
