A group of Kamloops residents has been meeting over the last few months in order to bring a greater understanding of xeriscaping to Kamloops. 

What is xeriscaping?

Xeriscaping is gardening with the natural environmental conditions you live in rather than fighting against them. As we are all aware, drought conditions have persisted in Kamloops over the last two years and conserving water is top of mind. But this does not mean we need to fill our front yard with rocks! Many plant species thrive in low water conditions, and it is possible to design beautiful landscapes that provide habitat for birds and insects while minimizing water and chemical use.

The group has chosen the name Xeriscape Kamloops Collective (XKC). Their tagline is “sustainable gardening in a changing world.”  Their mission is to inspire, educate, support, advocate and collaborate to increase sustainable gardening in Kamloops. While still finding their feet and getting organized, XKC looks forward to partnering with other groups in our community who have similar interests. Two years ago, the Nature Friendly Yards group grew out of Transition Kamloops’ Climate Action Fest⏤there are some synergies there!

Get involved!

XKC has lots of ideas about how to accomplish its goals, which range from providing information to local gardeners and working with nurseries to better highlight drought-tolerant plants, to creating and maintaining a local demonstration garden. XKC members look forward to seeing more xeriscape yards and gardens in Kamloops and invite all who are interested in learning more to their next meeting at 7 pm on April 3, 2025 at the Thompson Rivers University Campus Activity Center.

If you’d like more information, please provide your contact details, and we’ll forward them to Fearon Blair at XKC.

Photo by Crispin Jones on Unsplash