Prepare for summer drought
Sigrie Kendrick – Apr 22, 2026 / 11:00 am | Story: 610104
Photo: Judie Steeves
A bright, colourful xeriscape garden with the right plants will withstand, and even thrive in, drought conditions in the Okanagan. You can learn how to transition your landscape and plant xeriscape options at the annual OXA spring plant sale May 9 in Kelowna.
There’s not much hope that successive years of drought are going to end yet, so it’s important you and your landscape be prepared to thrive through more extreme conditions in the coming months.
Spring in the Okanagan arrives with a kind of urgency—the sun climbs fast, the soil warms quickly, and every gardener feels the pull to get outside and get planting.
This year, the Okanagan Xeriscape Association is channelling that energy into something bigger than a simple plant sale. We’re bringing together some of the valley’s most passionate plant people, water stewards and community experts for a spring plant sale that’s as much about learning and connecting as it is about loading up your trunk with beautiful, drought-tolerant plants.
The heart of this event is collaboration. The OXA has partnered with Wild Bloom Nursery, XEN Nursery, the Master Gardeners of the Okanagan, Make Water Work, and FireSmart to create a one-stop celebration of sustainable, water-wise gardening.
Whether you’re a seasoned xeriscaper or just beginning to rethink your lawn, there will be something, and someone, for you.
OXA, Wild Bloom, and XEN Nursery will all be on hand with a carefully-curated selection of xeriscape plants, including natives, ornamental grasses, drought-tolerant perennials, flowering shrubs, and more. Those will be plants chosen not just for their beauty but for their resilience; species that thrive in our hot, dry summers without demanding constant irrigation.
Shopping from local nurseries also means you’re getting plants already adapted to Okanagan conditions, giving them a strong start right from the moment they go in the ground.
One of the things that makes this event truly special is the chance to talk directly with people with lots of experience and training in xeriscape gardening in the Okanagan, who know plants and their water needs well.
Members of The Master Gardeners of the Okanagan will be present to answer your questions, whether you’re puzzling over a struggling perennial bed, wondering what to plant in a challenging sun-baked slope, or simply curious about companion planting and soil health.
These are certified volunteers with thousands of hours of horticultural experience amongst them and they love nothing more than a good gardening question.
Make Water Work will bring its expertise in water conservation and smart irrigation to the event. In a region where water is both precious and increasingly pressured, understanding how to use less of it without sacrificing a thriving landscape is knowledge every Okanagan resident can use.
Stop by its table to learn about efficient watering practices, rain gardens, mulching strategies,and how xeriscape principles can dramatically reduce your outdoor water use.
Perhaps, one of the most timely conversations at this year’s sale will happen at the FireSmart table. As wildfire risk continues to shape how Okanagan residents think about their properties, the intersection of FireSmart principles and xeriscape design has never been more relevant.
Many xeriscape plants also happen to be excellent choices for defensible space. At the event, FireSmart representatives will be on hand to help you understand which plants offer both water-wise and fire-resistant qualities, and how thoughtful plant placement can help protect your home while keeping your garden beautiful.
We will also have a children’s planting area where the little ones can get their hands in the soil and take home a newly potted-up plant.
The Okanagan is a place of extraordinary natural beauty, and it faces extraordinary pressures from drought, wildfire, population growth, and the ongoing challenge of maintaining green spaces in a semi-arid climate.
The OXA’s spring plant sale is a small but meaningful response to those pressures; an opportunity for community members to come together, share knowledge, and go home with plants that will make a genuine difference.
Xeriscape isn’t about bare gravel and cactus. It’s about gardening intelligently, choosing the right plant for the right place, reducing waste, and creating landscapes which reflect the real ecology of where we live.
Events like this one remind us that sustainable gardening is a community practice, not just a personal one.
Join us from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat., May 9 at Wild Bloom Nursery, 840 Old Vernon Road in Kelowna. A members-only pre-sale will be held May 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A list of plants available for purchase will be on the OXA website prior to the sale at okanaganxeriscape.org Mark your calendar, bring your questions, bring your friends, and come ready to be inspired.
The Okanagan’s gardens and its watershed will be healthier for it.
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 makewaterwork.ca.
Sigrie Kendrick is executive-director of the Okanagan Xeriscape Association and a master gardener.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
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