Xeriscape & Turf Farm Property: A low-water, low-upkeep yard transformation

The Brief

This rural Armstrong property came with a challenge that’s common on North Okanagan acreages: a large area of ground around the house that was expensive and time-consuming to irrigate, mow, and keep looking presentable through the dry summer months. The owners wanted the space near the home to stay green, tidy, and inviting without the well demand, fuel, and hours that a lawn of that size normally asks for.

The Approach

Armstrong sits in the same dry interior climate as the rest of the Okanagan, where summer water restrictions and limited well capacity are real constraints for rural properties. Rather than fighting that with more irrigation, our design split the property into zones: functional turf areas close to the home for everyday use and curb appeal, and drought-tolerant planting beds worked in around the natural contours of the lot elsewhere. Grouping plants by water need, working with the existing grade, and choosing a groundcover strategy that could hold up through a hot, dry Okanagan summer were the priorities from the first site visit.

What We Built

The finished yard pairs premium artificial turf, installed over a properly graded and compacted base for drainage and long-term stability, with layered xeriscape beds of drought-tolerant shrubs, perennials, and mulch. The turf keeps the areas around the house consistently green and manicured year-round with no mowing, no irrigation line to maintain, and no dead patches from summer heat, while the surrounding xeriscape beds add texture and seasonal interest without adding to the water bill. Together, the two systems turn a high-maintenance rural yard into one that largely looks after itself.

Curious whether a low-water yard could work on your property? Learn more about our Xeriscaping & Planting Design and Artificial Turf services, see what we’ve built for other homeowners around Armstrong, or browse more completed projects in Our Work.