Naturalized Yards Are A Welcome Sight in Kettle Valley
Oh, the green, green grass of home…
The lawn is a familiar sight in communities across Canada. Little patches of grass that mark our territory and beg to be watered constantly, all for the sake of appearances. A long time ago, children played on the front lawn while their parents sat on the front porch with the neighbours, smiling on.
These days, we’ve put a greater value on privacy and security, so our kids now play in our fully fenced back yards and we put up barriers around the back deck so that the neighbours can’t see us. So what does this mean for the front lawn?
In Kelowna, our front yards have become a very impractical drain on resources and more and more people are rethinking their image of the perfect home and great curb appeal. With hot dry summers and intense sunshine, watering a garden is not only a big drain on the utility bill, but it is also a drain on our water supply. Lawnmowers create noise pollution, as well as air and ground pollution, and it’s a chore that many dread. That’s why more and more homeowners are naturalizing their yards and xeriscaping or putting in a vegetable garden, in some cases removing the lawn completely, and creating a beautiful oasis in their place.
We are lucky enough to live in a zone 7a climate, which means that our options for beautiful plants and flowers that require little watering are plentiful. Essentially, you want to create a yard that requires little additional watering. If it does require watering, your water needs to have a purpose like growing carrots for the dinner table.
There are many advantages to replacing your unused lawn into a natural garden, but one of the best is the appearance. A neighbourhood filled with natural gardens makes the homes feel more connected and provides the plantlife needed to foster wildlife like birds and butterflies. With the installation of a drip irrigation system, your yard maintenance is reduced to some leisurely weed pulling once or twice per week and you don’t have to hear the rumble of your neighbour’s gas lawnmower at 8 AM on Saturday morning.
The Village of Kettle Valley is a great community in Kelowna’s Upper Mission and we are proud to be supporters of the naturalized, xeriscaped yard movement. Imagine taking an evening stroll on your street and being greeted by bright flowers, ornamental grasses blowing gently in the wind, and butterflies dancing in the air. That’s the kind of community that I want to call home. Don’t you?
