Gardening with nature
Creating future gardens from the very beginning
Whether you buy blooming plants and tall trees for your landscaping or plant seedlings and seeds—it all really begins with the collection of seeds from...
Rodent problems can force harsh measures in a garden
What’s that old saying: Do as I say, not as I do? If anyone has been by the Okanagan Xeriscape Association’s Xeriscape Demonstration Garden...
Now's the time to prep your garden for winter
You might not like what I’m going to say, but your garden will thank you for your efforts now. I planted a shrub in a client’s garden recently and...
Enjoy ornamental grasses through the winter months
Grass, grass everywhere—and I’m not talking about the turf-grass type. Fall is definitely the time of year when ornamental grasses shine. What poet...
Volunteers are the heart and soul of Okanagan Xeriscape Association
OXA executive-director Sig Kendrick and OXA volunteers work in a member’s garden. Lockie Bracken won the Dig with Sig in your own garden contest put on by...
Fundraising sale shows drought-resistant plants are growing in popularity
I guess it takes drought conditions to convince people that putting in drought-tolerant perennials just makes sense in this climate. It certainly was clear at...
Drought-tolerant perennials a good choice for your garden
It’s almost sale time. Mark your calendar for the non-profit Okanagan Xeriscape Association’s second annual fall plant sale Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to...
It's time to set water priorities in your garden
As we watch our favourite plants wilt and dry up under increasing water restrictions, record-setting drought conditions and extreme heat, decisions need to be...
Plants need strategies to deal with the heat too
Adaptability and climate-resilience are essential to survival for plants that are native to the Okanagan Valley’s arid climate, with its hot summers and...
Why it's nuts to litter your landscape with fabric
It’s insanity. Albert Einstein is generally believed to have been the one to state that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over...
Tips to keep your plants alive in scorching summer heat
It’s official, the world recorded the hottest day ever on July 4, with experts expecting that record to fall shortly, as high temperatures continue. These...
Invasive plants are dangerous for all
Invasive plants reduce biodiversity and pose a significant threat to agricultural crops, habitat for wildlife and fish and they compromise water quality as well...
Weather wreaks havoc on plants throughout the region
Severe winter weather has caused considerable havoc in gardens, orchards and vineyards in the Okanagan. There has been a great deal of discussion in gardening...
Use native plants to help stabilize slopes
It’s just common sense to look to Mother Nature for advice about solving natural concerns on your landscape, like water, steep slopes and sun exposure or...
Plan your garden to feed pollinators as well as for beauty
Pollinators have great access to food during the summer months, when there is a buffet of flowers blooming on every corner and in every field and meadow. But...
Mother knows best—Mother Nature, that is
Native plants naturally thrive in the climatic conditions where they’re growing, so let’s encourage them in our own gardens. Native plants...
Plant sale fundraiser to offer unique drought-tolerant plants
It’s plant sale time of year again. With spring, everyone with an interest in growing is out looking for something different to try in their garden...
Scary precipitation stats from Environment Canada
Well, the numbers are in, and they should terrify all of us. March was an extremely dry month throughout the Okanagan Valley, with Kelowna experiencing its...
It’s officially spring, so it's time to plant
Spring has sprung, finally. Wow, was it just me or does this past winter seem to have been the longest ever? Perhaps slipping on the ice at a neighbour’s...
Rest your lawnmower and let the lawn grow
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...