Save every drop so we have water to live

Photo: Contributed

Xeriscape can be dramatic and colourful, lush and beautiful, all while conserving water.

Our stunning Okanagan Valley, with its sparkling lakes and semi-arid climate, faces an increasingly-precarious water future.

Despite being surrounded by what appears to be abundant water, the Okanagan Basin is among Canada’s most water-stressed regions. Its residents use more than twice the national average of water per capita. As climate change intensifies and population growth continues, a fundamental shift in our relationship with water is essential.

The Okanagan's unique challenges stem from its geography and climate. While visitors marvel at expansive lakes, the reality is more complex as our region receives far less annual precipitation than the nearby “Wet Coast.”

Our watershed must support agriculture, tourism,and growing communities, creating intense competition for a finite resource. During summer months, when water demand peaks for both residential and agricultural use, supply dwindles as the snowpack diminishes, storage reservoirs dry up and temperatures skyrocket.

Climate models predict longer, hotter summers, reduced snowpack and more variable precipitation patterns, threatening water security. The window for proactive adaptation is narrowing. That is where xeriscaping enters as a powerful solution.

Far from the misconception of sterile rock and gravel gardens, xeriscaping is the art of creating vibrant, low-water landscapes adapted to local conditions. The approach embraces seven principles—thoughtful planning and design, soil improvement, efficient irrigation, appropriate plant selection, mulching, limited turf areas and proper maintenance.

The benefits extend well beyond water conservation. A well-designed xeriscape can reduce outdoor water use between 50% and 75%, delivering immediate savings on water bills.

Xeric landscapes require less maintenance, so you can say goodbye to weekends previously spent mowing, fertilizing and fighting weeds. Native and drought-tolerant plants establish deeper root systems, creating resilience against both drought and disease. They also enhance local biodiversity by providing habitat for pollinators and birds.

In some jurisdictions, such as Kelowna, financial incentives make the transition even more appealing. Many Okanagan municipalities offer rebates for removing thirsty cedar hedges and installing water-efficient landscapes.

The initial investment typically pays for itself within a few years through reduced water bills and maintenance costs.

The aesthetic possibilities are boundless. Drought-tolerant perennials like Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender), Salvia nemorosa “Caradonna” (Perennial Sage) and Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) offer stunning and colourful blooms and textures

Native grasses can provide movement and winter interest planted amongst carefully-placed boulders and decorative gravels, which can add structure and visual appeal year-round. A thoughtfully-designed xeriscape garden evolves through the seasons, offering changing colours and textures while maintaining water efficiency.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board and local governments support the Okanagan Xeriscape Association’s workshops, demonstration gardens and a website crammed with information in blogs and articles, with photos, to help you transition to xeriscape. It includes an extensive, searchable plant database of hundreds of drought-tolerant, climate-resilient plants.

Local nurseries increasingly highlight native and drought-tolerant options. The transition can begin small—perhaps replace a portion of lawn with a water-wise garden bed, then expand as your confidence grows.

As we face climate uncertainty, water conservation becomes not just an environmental choice but a community responsibility. When Okanagan residents collectively reduce water consumption, they contribute to long-term water security for agriculture, which remains an integral part of our economy and our lives. They also help to maintain adequate environmental flows in streams and rivers, protecting fish species and reducing pressure on infrastructure, potentially avoiding costly upgrades to water treatment and delivery systems.

Xeriscaping represents more than a landscaping trend but is more a philosophical shift in how we inhabit this remarkable valley. It acknowledges that true stewardship means adapting our preferences to ecological realities rather than forcing inappropriate landscapes into our environment. It recognizes that sustainability and aesthetics can— and should—harmoniously coexist.

The Okanagan’s future water security will be determined by choices made today. By embracing the principles of xeriscape and water conservation, residents can ensure that the valley’s lakes and streams continue to define this special region for generations to come. Each drop saved is an investment in a more-resilient, sustainable future where the Okanagan’s natural splendour remains its defining characteristic rather than a memory of what once was.

Interested in beginning your xeriscape journey? Visit the OXA’s plant sale May 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 840 Old Vernon Road in Kelowna. We will have a member’s-only pre-sale on Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., so consider becoming a member for this and other valuable benefits outlined at okanaganxeriscape.org.

We will have Xen and Wild Bloom Nursery in attendance with master gardeners on site to field your gardening questions. As in years past, OXA will represent the Make Water Work campaign at nurseries throughout the Okanagan Valley in the coming months, so watch for it next at Sandhu Nursery in Osoyoos May 18.

The Okanagan Xeriscape Association is grateful for the ongoing financial support of the Okanagan Basin Water Board and is proud to be collaborating on the Make Water Work campaign. Check out the Make Water Work plant list at www.makewaterwork.ca.

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

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