8 www.alliancecom.net Update Your View of Gardening with These Current Trends Many gardening practices are tried and true, while others are just starting to take off. The following sites describe the latest trends and will give you plenty of ideas for creating unique garden spaces inside and out. LivingWalls realhomes.com/us/advice/ how-to-create-a-living-wall Living walls are vertical surfaces with plants growing on them. They’re perfect for bringing some greenery into limited outdoor spaces and can also be used to create more privacy or soundproofing. This detailed Real Homes article explains what living walls are, how they work, and how to build one. Outdoor Rooms thisoldhouse.com/yards/21018978/ 39-budget-wise-ways-to-create- outdoor-rooms The definition of an outdoor room is pretty broad. Generally, it’s a defined space with no walls and/or roof. A balcony, patio, or other designated area can all be considered outdoor rooms. This guide from This Old House will help you select the perfect details for your new outdoor hangout. Balcony Gardens housebeautiful.com/uk/garden/designs/how-to/a781/balcony-garden-guide No backyard? No problem! You can create a garden even in the smallest of outdoor spaces like a balcony. This House Beautiful guide offers tips for planning, choosing plants, picking planters, and setting up your space. Pollinator Gardens fws.gov/midwest/news/PollinatorGarden.html Pollinators like bees and butterflies are essential for healthy habitats. You can encourage their activity by growing plants they like. This page from the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service offers great tips for choosing your location and plants, as well as prepping, planting, and growing your garden. Rewilding mossy.earth/rewilding-knowledge/rewild-your-garden Rewilding is the practice of returning land to its natural, uncultivated state to provide benefits for local plants, plus birds, insects, and other animals. The Mossy Earth organization has put together this helpful guide, complete with a glossary of terms, to help you understand why and how to rewild. How to Grow a Bouquet-Worthy Flower Garden When you have your own cutting garden, you can create beautiful floral arrangements for your home whenever you want, without the expense of buying flowers from the store. Plus, you’ll know the flowers are fresh and will last longer in a vase. Here are a few pointers to grow the flower garden of your dreams: • Plant flowers that work well for cutting, including cosmos, dahlias, and zinnias. • Choose varieties that coordinate well together in terms of color, size, and shape. • Select flowers that are resistant to drought and weeds and that produce blooms for several months. • Check your growing zone to find out which flowers grow best in your region. • For many flower types, the more you cut, the more they produce. • Dead head your flowers—that is, regularly cut off any dead or dying blooms. Don’t limit yourself to flowers when gathering stems for a floral arrangement. Also include using branches from bushes in your yard as well as herbs such as sage, oregano, mint, and lavender.
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