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20VVSUNDAY,FEBRUARY23,2020 ADVERTISINGSUPPLEMENTTOTHERIVERVALLEY&OZARKEDITION/THREERIVERSEDITIONOFTHEARKANSASDEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • HOME&GARDENSHOWCASE
Men and women can take the farm-to-table trend a step further this year by preparing, serving and eating food grown at home.
GARDEN GAB
GROWERS EMBRACE NEW FADS, REVIVE OLD METHODS IN 2020
BY SARAH DECLERK / CREATIVE SERVICES WRITER
Each gardening season brings a fresh crop of gar- deners and a new wave of gardening methods. While some fads have only become popular in recent years, other trends are geared toward re-
viving thrifty habits from yesteryear. Here are some gardening customs set to grow in 2020.
SUCCULENTS
Succulents have been on the rise for some time now, and it is easy to see why. The fleshy, drought-tolerant plants are beautiful, long-lasting and low-maintenance. Sue Andrews, president of the Cleburne County Master Gardeners, said succulents are a top seller at the orga- nization’s plant sales.
While most folks are familiar with potted succu- lents rooted in novel containers, the plants can also be grown in flower beds, Andrews said, adding that succulents prefer loamy or sandy soil and do best with minimal care.
“Don’t overwater them because a succulent doesn’t need a lot of water,” she said. “They do need some
sunlight. They’re not a plant that needs to be in the dark or anything.”
Popular varieties of succulents include jade plants, aloe vera, hens-and-chicks and many others, the Uni- versity of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service website states. Care tips for succulents and other plants can be found by visiting uaex.edu.
VERTICAL GARDENS
Those who live in areas where space is a premium can delight in vertical gardening, which utilizes upright struc- tures, such as walls and fences, for container planting.
According to an article on the U of A Cooperative Ex- tension Service website, the most popular designs include rows of plants layered so that water from the top row can flow down to lower plants. A vertical garden can be as sim- ple as bags, bottles or pots of soil fastened to an upturned pallet secured to a fence or hung from a horizontal beam.
Because vertical gardens do not require bending, weeding or strenuous labor, they are ideal for senior adults, the article states. According to the article, such “green walls” also benefit the environment by creating a barrier between sunlight and homes — which reduces
the amount of energy spent cooling a residence — and by filtering stormwater before it reaches the ground, thereby protecting the watershed.
CONTAINER GARDENS
In today’s fast-paced world, many people are sat- isfying their green thumbs with container gardens, which require less maintenance than in-ground gar- dens, Andrews said.
“People that work and have very busy lives with children and everything — they may want to do some gardening, but all they have time for is container gardening,” she said, adding that containers can be used to grow flowers, vegetables and more.
Container gardens may require more frequent wa- tering than in-ground gardens because the pots allow the soil to quickly dry out, she said, adding that coop- erative extension service offices can provide gardeners with tips for growing various plants in containers.
COMPOSTING
Fans of organic gardening may have made a resolution to start composting this year. Composting is a method