Rest your lawnmower and let the lawn grow

Benefits of longer grass

Photo: Sharon Spring, OXA

Egan Davis talked to Okanagan landscape professionals recently in Kelowna at an Okanagan Xeriscape Association workshop about the "Long Grass Movement" in passive turf areas. He suggests you give the lawnmower a break.

This spring, give your lawn mower a break.

You’ve got a valid excuse not to mow the lawn. There are lots of ecological benefits to letting turf grass grow long instead of shearing it short, including the fact it provides both food and habitat for beneficial insects such as bees, birds, snakes and other urban wildlife.

In passive turf areas, the concept of allowing the grass to grow long and co-exist with flowering plants provides support for pollinators such as bees as well as providing additional carbon storage in the ecosystem.

Whether you take the long step into creating a meadow, or just reduce the amount of mowing you do is up to you.

Also dubbed “No Mow May,” the conservation initiative was one discussed by Egan Davis during his presentation to the recent Xeriscape for Professionals workshop held in Kelowna by the Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

“No Mow May” encourages homeowners to leave their grass and wildflowers long during the month of May. The initiative originated in Britain by the organization Plantlife, but has recently begun to gain traction worldwide.

Founded in 1989, Plantlife is an international conservation charity dedicated to conserving wild plants in their natural habitat and educating people about their benefits and beauty.

By keeping your mower in the shed for the month of May you are providing vital habitat and resources for bees and other emerging pollinators.

Multiple studies have shown that areas left un-mowed can contain double the population of broadleaf species and yield three times the nectar sugar of mowed areas. With the worldwide decline in pollinator populations this research gives us legitimate permission to leave our lawns long for the month of May.

Appleton, Wisconsin was the first U.S. town to adopt “No Mow May” in 2020.

Lawrence University did a study on the lawns of Appleton and found five times the number of bees and three times more bee species snacking on the un-mowed lawns.

Egan Davis is currently the parks operations manager for the City of Richmond and acknowledged the push-back from residents toward his “No Mow May” approach to turf management. But, he is emphatic that education is the key to changing people’s perception towards long grass and a less-manicured esthetic.

Echoing Egan’s sentiments is Chris Szymberski with Seed and Sparrow Landscape Design of Kelowna, who supports climate resilient landscapes. He says these landscapes can use significantly less resources and management energy.

At the workshop, Chris shared slides of a client’s project that bore witness to the transformation from a traditional turf grass, water-thirsty and high-maintenance landscape, to a stunningly-beautiful natural space which allowed the aging clients to stay in their family home without feeling overwhelmed with maintenance challenges.

If you would like to see this design concept in-person, visit the pollinator garden located behind the Laurel Packinghouse on Ellis Street in Kelowna.

Jennifer Miles from the City of Kelowna discussed the many benefits of trees in urban areas, from slope stabilization to shade. One big benefit is that their shade helps decrease energy use in air conditioning during the hot Okanagan summer months.

She discussed the primary drivers of tree loss: development, safety, and pests, and how the city is implementing new bylaws aimed at root protection for mature trees on development sites.

It was a pleasure to hear from all of the presenters at the workshop and I came away from the day with a renewed sense of optimism that we can make positive changes in our approach to environmental issues.

Become a member of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association by visiting our website at www.okanaganxeriscape.org. Membership costs $25 for individuals and $40 for households and includes many benefits, all of which are outlined on our website. Memberships received prior to the end of March will be eligible to win one of two $25 gift certificates to be used at our annual spring plant sale being held on May 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wild Bloom Nursery, 840 Old Vernon Road in Kelowna.

Follow us on social media for inspiration on the beauty that is xeriscape and consider submitting photos of your garden to [email protected] to be featured in our “Share your Garden” segment.

Sigrie Kendrick is a master gardener and the executive-director of the not-for-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association. She can be reached at 778-363-8360 or by email at [email protected]

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Fight the impacts of climate change on your garden

Gardens and climate change

The past eight years were the warmest on record—proof, if needed, that climate change is here.

That was just one fact brought to the table by Mario Lanthier, owner of Crop Health Advising and Research, at a recent workshop on xeriscape for professionals, held in Kelowna by the Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

He brought graphics illustrating the warming trend and discussed the challenges facing their lives as plants struggle to cope with increased temperatures, and the importance of providing our plants with the best start in life in our landscapes. That means we must begin by amending the soil in planting areas with water-retaining organic matter and installing efficient irrigation, since plants—even xeric ones—need adequate water to get their root systems established in the first year or two of their growth.

Lanthier recently returned from professional conferences in Europe and talked about tree species which are better able to thrive in our warming future. I was not surprised to find that two of them are already planted in our xeriscape demonstration garden, as promising species in our arid climate.

Syringa reticulata, commonly known as Ivory Silk Japanese Tree Lilac, and Koelreuteria paniculata, Golden-Rain Tree, have been growing successfully in the UnH20 xeriscape demonstration garden in Kelowna since 2010.

Joan Byrne, owner of Wild Bloom Nursery and OXA President, talked about her favourite new perennial cultivars for xeriscape landscapes. Penstemon pinifolius, Salvia nemorosa ‘Sky Blue Marvel’, Panicum virgatum, and Cotinus coggygria ‘Velveteeny’ were among her selections.

All of the above can all be viewed in one of our two demonstration gardens, in Kelowna and West Kelowna, and many others she discussed will be available for purchase at our annual spring plant sale.

Josh Smith, manager of Xeriscape Endemic Nursery, gave a presentation on the beauty of native Okanagan plants and their uses to help with erosion control. He talked about the many ingenious ways plants survive periods of drought and discussed how he uses natives as the most successful approach in stabilizing slopes on the many challenging properties rising up from the valley bottom.

New advances in irrigation aimed at water conservation was the topic of SiteOne Irrigation, as the company is keen to educate homeowners and professionals alike about the many new technologies aimed at decreasing water consumption on your landscape.

In my next column, I’ll tell you about Egan Davis’s presentation of the long grass movement in passive turf areas.

Spring is just around the corner and I can’t wait. Two of my favourite indicators of the beginning of the growing season are the opening day of The Greenery on Feb. 25, a pilgrimage for more than 20 years, and the Master Gardener’s Seedy Sunday on March 12, where the OXA will have a table. Come visit us with your xeriscape questions at Parkinson Recreation Centre. Seedy Sunday will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Become a member of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association by visiting our website at www.okanaganxeriscape.org

Membership costs $25 for individuals and $40 for households and include many benefits, all of which are outlined on our website. Memberships received before the end of March will be eligible to win one of two $25 gift certificates to be used at our annual spring plant sale.

Follow us on social media for inspiration on the beauty that is xeriscape and consider submitting any photos of your garden to [email protected] to be featured in our Share Your Garden segment.

Sigrie Kendrick is a master gardener and executive director of the not-for-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association and can be reached at 778-363-8360 or by email at [email protected].

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Join the move towards good landscape choices

Better landscape choices

Photo: Contributed

Landscape professionals from up and down the Okanagan met last week in Kelowna to learn more and be inspired about xeriscape from the Okanagan Xeriscape Association.

We have to move away from inappropriate landscape choices such as turf grass, cedar hedges and inappropriate plant selections and instead move toward choices that better mimic our stunning natural Okanagan environment and support our pollinators, birds, and small mammals.

We humans have to relinquish our control issues and let nature do what she does best—heal herself, with our support.

That was brought home to me recently during a day-long, sold-out workshop for professionals in the landscape and nursery industries, organized last week by the Okanagan Xeriscape Association in Kelowna. Participants came from up and down our valley, while the keynote speaker, Egan Davis, travelled from Vancouver to present.

Both of OXA’s co-founders, Gwen Steele and Lisa Masini, were in attendance, as were many OXA board members and volunteers. There were municipal workers, golf course managers, irrigation specialists, nursery personnel, Master Gardeners, tree advocates, landscape designers, and many landscape companies also in attendance.

Of course, organizing a conference like that is a time-consuming challenge and I am very grateful to all of our volunteers who put in countless hours of work to pull off the extremely successful event. Thank you all.

Personally, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many young people in attendance, interested in becoming leaders in their field and being educated about the challenges that face this industry as our climate changes.

While all the presenters approached the issues of climate change and sustainable landscapes through a slightly different lens, many of the discussions on the day overlapped and built upon each other as the day continued. Through the day, I witnessed friendships rekindled and new connections being established.

On a personal level, I was able to spend time with Steele, one of the founders of OXA and my mentor, and was able to hear how happy she was with all of our work to further the organization. Everyone in that room owed a debt of gratitude for her vision.

At days’ end, a master gardener approached me and said with unmitigated glee that she had found her “tribe.” I couldn’t have agreed with her more. There was an infectious enthusiasm that permeated everyone in that room and a feeling that we had all found our tribe.

I have attended countless climate conferences over the decades but have never come away with such a feeling of that precious emotion—hope, hope for education that leads to better collective choices for our home, Earth. My faith in humanity is intact.

Give yourself that feeling by joining us. Become a member of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association by visiting our website at www.okanaganxeriscape.org. Membership costs $25 for individuals and $40 for households and includes many benefits, all of which are outlined on our website.

Memberships taken out prior to March 1 will be eligible to win one of two $25 gift certificates toward purchases at our annual spring plant sale. Follow us on social media for inspiration on the beauty that is xeriscape and consider submitting photos of your garden to [email protected] to be featured in our “Share your Garden” segment.

Sigrie Kendrick is a master gardener and the executive director of the not-for-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association. She can be reached at 778-363-8360 or by email at [email protected].

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

'Re-wilding' is one way to rebuild an ecosystem

Using plants native to area

Photo: Contributed

Aster conspicuus, known commonly as Showy aster, visited by a happy pollinator.

Re-wilding is the term for restoring healthy ecosystems in the landscape that have been disturbed by humans. Think of the millions of acres of mono-culture that is turf grass currently planted across this country.

Re-wilding aims to reverse biodiversity loss by using native plants and animal life to rebuild ecosystems and to mitigate climate change.

It is in the hope that we as humans can undo some of the destruction we have wreaked on our home—earth.

Gardeners, if you are currently spending these colder months planning for changes to your outdoor spaces come spring, please consider allocating a portion of your garden to native plants.

Plants native to the Okanagan thrive in our semi-arid valley and support countless pollinators, birds and animals. Think of the ripple effect, much as that from a single stone thrown into a pond.

When I took master gardener training in 2014 the only resource for purchase of native plants was Sagebrush nursery in Oliver, so it was a problem to suggest the use of native plants for clients.

But, in the last five or so years, things have evolved and we now have a fantastic local native plant nursery available locally, Xen Endemic Nursery in West Kelowna.

I initially met Josh Smith, the manager of Xen, while we were both volunteering to improve the landscape surrounding St. Andrews Anglican Church on Lakeshore Road in Kelowna. We got to talking and he mentioned that he ran a little-known nursery in West Kelowna. Of course, I immediately invited myself for a tour.

What I found was a fledgling business being managed by a passionate, knowledgeable plant person.

Fast forward a few years and this business has expanded to cover a whole hillside and now houses upward of 70,000 native plants. These plants are used to reclaim areas disturbed by all sorts of human activities, effectively re-wilding huge swaths of disturbed landscapes.

Although currently access to the nursery is only available for wholesale purchases, Josh has very graciously allowed OXA members to purchase native plants directly from his nursery as a benefit of membership.

Often, he will walk with you between rows of plants he has propagated, extolling their many virtues and discussing their habits.

If you are considering including a native area in your garden, why not become a member of our not-for profit organization, with the many benefits that include supporting OXA’s message of water conservation and helping to increase the sustainability of our beautiful home, the Okanagan Valley.

Membership is just $25 for individuals and $40 for households and it includes many other benefits, all of which are outlined on our website: www.okanaganxeriscape.org

Members paid up prior to the end of March will be eligible to win one of two $25 gift certificates to be used at our annual spring plant sale.

Josh will also be one of the keynote speakers at our upcoming Feb. 10 xeriscape workshop for professionals. See details on our website. His presentation is “Beauty and Function: Native Plants in Landscaping and Slope Retention.”

Industry professionals and home gardeners alike, come and join us and learn how you can help craft more climate-resilient landscapes.

Follow us on social media for inspiration to create the sustainable beauty that is xeriscape and consider sharing photos of your garden by sending them to: [email protected] to be featured in our Share your Garden segment.

Sigrie Kendrick is a Master Gardener and executive-director of the not-for-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association and can be reached at 778-363-8360 or by email at [email protected].

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.