After several years of prolonged droughts, watering restrictions, extreme heat and cold, and the threat of wildfires, home gardeners in this region are looking for ways to cope with the new normal. Here are some suggestions.

This beautiful Knutsford garden showcases hardy, water-wise plants                               Photo:  Elaine Sedgeman

PLANT OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
You probably know that plant hardiness zones are a fairly reliable guide to what plants will grow in your location. Planting zones are partly based on the minimum winter temperature where you live. The warmer the climate, the higher the number of the zone.

People living in the valley bottom in Kamloops used to consider themselves to be in Zone 5 or
even 6. Recent cold snaps, which brought -30 degrees C to the `banana belt’, may have
changed their minds. A lack of water can also distort the accuracy of zone guidelines.
Local gardening experts suggest that Zone 4, based on -35 degree C minimum temperature, is
now the safest and best option for the widest range of gardens in the Thompson Nicola region.

WHERE TO MEET THE PERFECT PLANT PARTNER: WHEN TO SWIPE RIGHT
The best place to look for the right water-wise plant for your garden is the Okanagan Xeriscape
Association website: okanaganxeriscape.org. Their free plant database is filled with low-water
shrubs, perennials, trees and grasses suitable for this region. The database is very easy to use
and to search. If you want a shrub that flowers in August, has purple foliage, an upright growth
habit and is hardy in Zone 4, you might find it there.

Take note of the common and Latin names as well as the variety of the plant you want before
you head to the nurseries. For example, look for a Spirea `Goldflame’ not just a Spirea.
Otherwise, you may get a variety that doesn’t work for you at all. Different varieties of the same
plant can be different colors, sizes and rated for different zones. The devil is in the details.

DON’T PLANT A HEAVY DRINKER IN BED WITH A SLOW SIPPER
Just as you group plants together by light requirements, you should group plants with similar
water requirements together. Too much water can damage drought-tolerant plants. Too little
water can cause regular plants to struggle.

Within the general category of drought-tolerant plants, each perennial, shrub or grass can vary
in how much water it requires. Water-wise plants are divided into three sub-groups: plants rated
with one raindrop require 0-3” of supplemental watering per year; 2 raindrops equate to 4” to 7”
per year; and a 3-raindrop rating equates to 8” to 11” per year. It is better to group plants with
the same raindrop rating or a close rating together. Avoid pairing a one-raindrop plant with a
three raindrop-rated plant. The Okanagan Xeriscape Association database gives the raindrop
rating of all plants listed.

WATERING GARDENS ONE DRIP AT A TIME
One thing to remember about drought-tolerant plants is that they are not drought tolerant – at
least not when you first plant them. If you read the fine print on some plant tags, you will find
“drought tolerant once established.”

That means you will have to water newly planted, drought-tolerant plants deeply at least twice a
week from the time of planting until the first frost.

The second year after planting, once plants are established, you can water them less as recommended. If possible, plant drought-tolerant perennials, trees and shrubs in the fall, making sure to water until the first frost.

Another way to conserve water is to water your garden early in the morning or in the evening to
avoid watering in the hottest part of the day. Try to avoid wetting the leaves of plants watered at
night.

How much water is enough? The simplest way to tell is by sticking your finger deep in the soil.
If soil sticks to your finger, you have watered enough.

There are several types of watering systems available, among them:

• • soaker hoses, a porous tube that seeps water into the soil and is positioned on the
    ground near the plants;
  •  drip irrigation, which involves flexible plastic tubing with tiny holes or emitters; and
  • underground irrigation, a costly system which relies on underground pipes and timers

A free resource available online is the IRRIGATION DESIGN GUIDE at:

• Drip & Low-Flow Irrigation: Planning & Installing Your System – Lee Valley Tools (link)