TRY DRY CLIMATE PLANTS
Make water work better. Buy plants perfect for our climate.
Check out our Make Water Work Plant Collection
Heading down the runway is a lineup of prickly succulents, fruit trees, and plants that will make your yard pop and water use drop.
In partnership with the Okanagan Xeriscape Association, the Make Water Work Plant Collection brings together a palette of WaterWise plants that celebrate the beauty of what’s possible in our Okanagan climate.
Let’s Make Water Work better in your yard!
HOT TIP! Save money with drought-tolerant plants. They need to be watered way less than their waterhungry counterparts.
Combine for the perfect plant ensemble
These plants provide easy-to-care-for gardens with various seasonal colours that thrive naturally, even in drought conditions.
This collection includes 105 perennials, grasses, trees and shrubs. Go ahead, dive in.
To view more details, click an image followed by the name in the pop-up window.


View the Full Make Water Work Plant Collection
Are you WaterWise? Do you like to save money?
MAKE WATER WORK PLANT CARE TIPS
Watering
- All plants need weekly watering during the first year to get roots established. Some varieties of shrubs will need weekly watering for 2-3 additional years.
- It is best to give the plant a slow soak, then allow the surface of the soil to dry out before watering again. This encourages deep, drought-tolerant root growth.
- Plants in water retentive soils (such as clay) will need less supplementary water than those in sandy, fast-draining soils.
Mulching
- A 2-3″ layer of organic mulch on top of the soil is recommended.
- Mulch helps retain moisture, minimize weeds and keeps soil surface soft for water retention.
- It also provides plant nutrients, which helps minimize the need for supplementary fertilizers.
Planting
- Plants planted in the fall will have a much better root system by the following summer than plants freshly planted in the spring.
Plant Collection Benefits

- Create beautiful, easy-care, drought-resistant landscapes that enhance home value.
- Reduce water use by 30-100%, depending on the plants used.
- The Make Water Work plants chosen as part of this collection are suited to the dry Okanagan climate, and will naturally thrive.
- During water restrictions, these plants will continue to look great.
Water is a finite resource. As the valley grows and costs of treating water rises, it becomes more important to make wise choices about how we use our water.
For an even more extensive listing of WaterWise plants, visit www.okanaganxeriscape.org/db
Help your community win by taking the pledge!
Participating Garden Centres
Ask about the Make Water Work Plant Collection at these participating garden centres.
North Okanagan
Shepherd’s Hardware
3525 Mill St
Armstrong BC
Phone: 250-546-3002
Blue Mountain Nursery Company
1871 Pleasant Valley Rd.
Armstrong, BC
Phone: 250.546.8181
Swan Lake Market & Garden
7920 Highway 97
Vernon, BC
Phone: 250-542-7614
Nicholas Alexander Landscaping
6325 Hwy 97 97
Vernon, BC
Phone: 250-542-8881
Central Okanagan
Lake Country Home Hardware
3223 Woodsdale Road
Lake Country, BC
Phone: 778-480-8030
Better Earth Gardens & Tropicals
1629 K. L. O. Rd
Kelowna, BC
Phone: (250) 861-1881
South Okanagan
GardenWorks Penticton
670 Duncan Avenue W.
Penticton, BC
Phone: 250-492-5703
Toll Free: 1-800-667-0765
Sagebrush Nursery
7556 Island Road
Oliver, BC
Phone: 250-489-8898
Sandhu Greenhouses
9707-128 Ave.
Osoyoos, BC
Phone: 250-495-2676