Okanagan Xeriscape Association raising money to revamp gardens

Refreshing demo gardens

Photo: Judie Steeves

The colourful OXA Xeriscape Demonstration Garden needs your help to fund a refresh of the garden, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month.

Somehow, it seems to be OK for governments to get into deficit positions but non-profit organizations can’t do that.

That means, if the Okanagan Xeriscape Association needs to update and refresh its xeriscape demonstration gardens, there is no pot of money available for such a project and it can’t spend money it does not have.

So, we’ve launched a public fund-raising campaign to Refresh the UnH2O, our primary xeriscape demonstration garden in front of the H2O Aquatic Centre on Gordon Drive in Kelowna. It was unveiled in September, 15 years ago, so some of the perennials are getting on in years and newer varietals are available.

We rely on the public, local businesses and other organizations to help us renovate and update the beautiful garden, in which we show everyone xeriscape techniques and plants and how attractive such a drought-tolerant, water-conserving landscape can be.

Already, we’ve had some success with our campaign and the native plant-themed garden was updated earlier this year, thanks to generous support from XEN, Xeriscape Endemic Nursery, owner Joe Cardoso and manager Josh Smith.

As well, the Kelowna Fire Department’s FireSmart program is supporting creation of interpretive signage in the new Woodland Grove theme garden, to help educate people about alternatives to the thirsty and very flammable, but popular cedar hedge. Waterkind Consulting has also agreed to sponsor updated drip irrigation throughout the garden.

Each will be recognized and thanked for their generosity and their support on signage and on our popular website.

Although our ask to businesses who support water conservation is to sponsor renovation of one of the remaining theme gardens and a year’s maintenance—from individuals, any amount is our plea. It all adds up. Go to our website’s (okanaganxeriscape.org) welcome page and scroll down to the "Refresh the UnH20" headline where the donate button is or to discuss the project or email [email protected]

There are many new cultivars to those we planted in the garden 15 years ago, and newly-discovered or developed xeriscape plants we’d like to demonstrate but a re-design and purchase of plants costs money, and we’re not in the business of making money. We educate people about conserving water using xeriscape.

This is not an overnight project. It will be completed over the coming years, and we estimate it will cost in the neighbourhood of $75,000 in total.

As part of our refresh, we plan to re-create the lawn alternatives garden as an alpine garden, complete with large boulders in which we can insert xeriscape plants in crevices and around the stones. We would appreciate the help of a local quarry to source the boulders needed and help us situate them in the new theme garden. We could have lots of fun together and model what can be done in landscape design elsewhere in the valley.

Fall is the best time of year to transplant perennials in this climate, giving them a chance to get established during the cooler, wetter fall and winter seasons, ready for the stresses of our hot, dry spring and summer weather. Don’t forget to plant your spring-flowering bulbs now. Because their foliage dies down in the heat and dry summer weather, after storing the nutrients for next spring’s show in their bulbs, they are great xeriscape options.

Remember that xeriscape plants such as natives and their cousins found in nurseries are already well-adapted to the rigours of our semi-arid climate, so thrive in our landscape designs in place of plants which are adapted to a wetter, cooler climate. And, they’re healthier because they’re less stressed in their natural climate conditions.

Visit the Okanagan Xeriscape Association website at okanaganxeriscape.org to become a member and to learn all about xeriscape.

The Okanagan Xeriscape Association is also 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 makewaterwork.ca.

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