Big blooms for dry yards
Sigrie Kendrick – May 6, 2026 / 11:00 am | Story: 612725
Photo: Emily Vergnano
Colour will be a highlight at this year’s annual Okanagan Xeriscape Association Spring Plant Sale May 9 in Kelowna. One of the perennials that will be available is this gorgeous Erysimum linifolium ‘Erysistible’, or Magenta Wallflower.
Now that spring is here with longer days and warmer soil, most of us find the urge to get our hands dirty is nearly impossible to resist.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect excuse to refresh your garden, the Xeriscape spring plant sale is your answer and this year colour is at the heart of it all.
Whether your garden basks in full sun or retreats into cool shade, there is something at our sale for every corner of your property. We’ve curated a stunning lineup highlighting colour, with both a sun-lover and a shade-dweller featured in each palette.
Here’s a preview of what you will find:
For those red lovers among us, with sun-drenched spots, few plants command attention like Gaillardia “Arizona Red Shades.” This Blanketflower is a standout, producing red blooms on sturdy stems through the hottest months of summer. It’s heat-loving, drought-hardy, and is exceptionally long-blooming.
Heuchera, known commonly as Coral Bells or Alumroot, is a workhorse in shady locations. These North American natives are valued for their foliage which varies from dark purple to lime green and shades of amber. Sprigs of airy red flowers emerge in late spring.
Yellow in the garden feels like bottled optimism. In full sun, Coreopsis “Zagreb” (Zagreb Tickseed) is a cottage garden classic with a mounding habit, a cheerful, and remarkably drought-tolerant perennial, once established. Its bright butter-yellow flowers bloom prolifically from early summer well into fall.
For shade, Aquilegia “Denver Gold,” (Denver Gold Columbine) sports early spring blooms ready to liven a shady corner.
Pink is perhaps the most versatile colour in the garden, shifting mood depending on the shade and setting.
Echinacea purpurea “Cheyenne” produces generously-sized daisy flowers that thrive in full sun and support pollinators throughout the season. Cheyenne Coneflower produces blooms in shades of pink, purple, red, yellow, and cream, from summer through fall. Leave the seed heads intact to provide sustenance for a variety of birds through winter.
Erysimum linifolium “Erysistible,” (Magenta Wallflower) features an ombre-shaded bloom in pink, orange and magenta. This hardy perennial thrives in Zones 5 to 9 and is happy in a partially shaded location.
Orange deserves far more attention in the xeriscape garden than it typically receives. Asclepias tuberosa, (Butterflyweed) is a North American native prized for its nectar-rich bright orange flowers which support the larvae of Monarch butterflies. These are best sited in a sunny and dry location.
Zauschneria California (Hummingbird Trumpet) is a low-growing, late bloomer featuring fuchsia-like coral blooms, which are irresistible to hummingbirds. This California native prefers some respite from our scorching Okanagan sun in a partially shaded location.
Purple plants have an almost magnetic quality in the garden and xeriscape-friendly options abound.
In sunny spots, Salvia nemorosa “Caradonna” is a designer favourite with deep violet-purple flower spikes rising on near-black stems creating a striking vertical element that pairs beautifully with ornamental grasses.
For shade, Ajuga reptans “Black Scallop” (Black Scallop Bugleweed) spreads as a low groundcover with glossy near-black leaves and vivid purple-blue flower spikes in spring. This groundcover works extremely well under trees where so many others flounder.
Crisp, elegant and essential, every garden needs white. It cools down hot colour combinations, brightens shaded areas and seems to glow as the light fades in the evening.
Persicaria polymorpha (Giant Fleeceflower) is a stunning specimen for sunny areas, featuring white Astilbe-like blooms. This noteworthy perennial is an award-winner after a seven-year trial completed by the Chicago Botanical Garden.
In shade, Lamium maculatum “White Nancy” offers clean white blooms above handsomely variegated foliage, a long-blooming, low-maintenance groundcover for your woodland garden.
This is just a taste of what awaits you at this year’s Okanagan Xeriscape Association’s spring plant sale. Each of these plants has been selected not only for its beauty but for its ability to thrive in our drought-stressed region. For a full list of plants available for purchase, visit our website at www.okanaganxeriscape.org
Whether you’re building a new garden from scratch or simply looking to add a few inspired additions to an existing space, I hope to see you May 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wild Bloom Nursery, 840 Old Vernon Road in Kelowna.
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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