Okanagan Lake between dry hills, with ponderosa pines on the slope in front

About Bunchgrass

Yards that take their lead from the hills.

Bunchgrass is a landscape design and build company in Kelowna, started by Theo Marchand in 2015. Two build crews, one care crew, and every yard walked by Theo first.

The story

Eight seasons of lawns that browned out.

Theo Marchand grew up on his family’s orchard in East Kelowna and spent eight seasons on landscape crews in the valley. Most of what he built was the same: a big lawn, a row of cedars and sprinklers on a timer. Every August the lawns browned out and the cedars struggled.

The hills behind those houses stayed gold and green on rain alone: bunchgrass, sage, pine and rock. So in spring 2015 Theo started Bunchgrass with one truck and a trailer, to build yards that take their lead from those hills. Every yard still starts with Theo walking it with the owner.

A gravel trail over a dry grassy hill with ponderosa pines and the lake beyond

Why “Bunchgrass”

Named for the grass that’s still standing in August.

Bluebunch wheatgrass grows in clumps on the dry hills above Kelowna. By July it’s gone gold, and in August it’s still standing, on whatever rain it gets.

That’s the brief for every yard we build: something that still looks good in the hottest, driest weeks of the year, without sprinklers running every morning.

Dry native grasses and shrubs in warm fall light

How we work

Four things we don’t change.

Whether it’s a front bed or a whole hillside.

  • Theo walks every yard

    He draws every plan too, so the person who listened to you is the person who designs it.

  • A fixed price

    The price on the plan is the price you pay, unless you change the plan. The start date is in writing.

  • One crew, start to finish

    The same crew lead is on site every day until it’s done, and you get an update every Friday.

  • Plants that suit the valley

    Grasses, shrubs and trees that cope with hot summers and cold winters, on drip lines at the roots.

The first-year promise

If a plant we put in dies in its first year, we replace it.

As long as it’s been on the watering schedule we set at the walk-through. Send us a photo, and we’ll come back and plant a new one.

An island bed of rocks, stepping stones, silver perennials and white flowers set in a lawn
A hillside home at dusk with a gravel front yard, planters and a valley behind

Let’s walk your yard.

Tell us a little about it. We’ll reply within one business day to book a free walk, and you’ll have a price range before anything’s drawn.