Resilient Gardening: How to Prepare for Storms and Droughts

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" border_style="solid" gradient_start_position="0" gradient_end_position="100" gradient_type="linear" radial_direction="center center" linear_angle="180" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" background_blend_mode="none" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0" flex_column_spacing="0px" type="legacy"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" type="1_1" layout="1_1" center_content="no" target="_self" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" hover_type="none" border_style="solid" border_position="all" box_shadow="no" box_shadow_blur="0" box_shadow_spread="0" background_type="single" gradient_start_position="0" gradient_end_position="100" gradient_type="linear" radial_direction="center center" linear_angle="180" background_position="left top" background_repeat="no-repeat" background_blend_mode="none" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" filter_type="regular" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0" last="true" border_sizes_top="0px" border_sizes_bottom="0px" border_sizes_left="0px" border_sizes_right="0px" first="true" min_height="" link=""][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" top_margin="10" bottom_margin="10" alignment="center" /][fusion_text rule_style="default" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3"]As storm season approaches Arkansas, it's normal to worry about the safety of your precious plants. Strong winds and heavy rainfall can quickly destroy a garden, so knowing how to properly storm-proof your space will save you a lot of time, energy, and total heartbreak further down the line! We'll guide you through how to storm-proof your garden against the Arkansas tornado season so you can continue to confidently enjoy your gorgeous plants. [/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" top_margin="10" bottom_margin="10" alignment="center" /][fusion_imageframe image_id="6077|full" hover_type="none" align="none" lightbox="no" alt="Bathroom Houseplants" linktarget="_self" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3"]https://westwoodgardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Westwood-Gardens-Arkansas-How-to-Prepare-for-Storms-and-Droughts-hail-proof-garden-cover.jpg[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" top_margin="10" bottom_margin="10" alignment="center" /][fusion_text rule_style="default" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3"]

How Can I Storm-Proof My Arkansas Garden?

Heavy rainfall, hail, and high winds are some of the most destructive threats to your garden, causing plant breakage, wet, flooded soil, and uprooting. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to storm-proof your garden and prevent a total loss of plant life. Here's how to help your plants weather the storm:

• Choose more resilient plants and trees. Trees and shrubs with longer root systems, while not 100% storm-proof, will stand much better during harsher weather than plants with shallower root systems or weaker branch structures.

• Keep your plants healthy! A healthy plant that's watered, fertilized, and pruned regularly is much better prepared to weather any storms.

• Use garden or frost blankets held in place with bricks or stakes to storm-proof larger garden beds. You can also use the same fabric tied in place with twine to cover up more vulnerable trees and shrubs.

• Add mulch. Mulch helps protect your plants' roots, helping them to be more storm-proof.

• Use trellises or stakes to help anchor your taller plants and trees into the ground during high winds.

These techniques will also help shield your plants from hail and heavy rainfalls.

If a storm is imminent:

• Stake down smaller trees and shrubs to prevent uprooting.
• Bring hanging baskets and small flower containers indoors, if possible.
• Storm-proof quickly by covering smaller plants with buckets, laundry baskets, or other covers that can be weighted down.

You may not be able to save everything during a tornado or other destructive storm, but you can definitely limit the damage by taking precautions now to keep your garden as storm-proof as possible.[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" top_margin="10" bottom_margin="10" alignment="center" /][fusion_imageframe image_id="6079|full" hover_type="none" align="none" lightbox="no" alt="Bathroom Houseplants" linktarget="_self" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3"]https://westwoodgardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Westwood-Gardens-Arkansas-How-to-Prepare-for-Storms-and-Droughts-mulching-shrub.jpg[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" top_margin="10" bottom_margin="10" alignment="center" /][fusion_text rule_style="default" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3"]

How Do I Protect My Garden Against an Arkansas Drought?

Drought is another common ailment your garden will likely experience at some point, so making it a little more drought-tolerant comes down to some good planning and diligent care. Here are some ways to make your garden more drought-proof and protect it from those pesky dry spells:

• Use good soil. Using the right soil for your trees, plants, and garden beds helps immensely with drought-proofing by keeping them healthier during dry spells. Use a loose, nutrient-rich soil and avoid sandy or clay-based soils whenever possible. We also recommend adding good compost to your soil during planting to further help with drought-proofing.

• Keep your garden well-mulched to help it retain moisture.

• Plant drought-tolerant plants. If drought-proofing your garden is your goal, the best thing you can do is fill it with plants that don't mind a bit of dry weather. Plants like lavender, succulents, salvia, alliums, sedum, and thyme are all good candidates, but there are many more! Stop by our garden center today to see all the drought-tolerant plants we have in stock.

• Plant your shrubs close together. When plants are closer together, they help shade the soil and prevent it from drying out too fast, helping to keep your garden drought-proof.

[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" top_margin="10" bottom_margin="10" alignment="center" /][fusion_imageframe aspect_ratio="" custom_aspect_ratio="100" aspect_ratio_position="" lightbox="no" linktarget="_self" align_medium="none" align_small="none" align="none" mask="" custom_mask="" mask_size="" mask_custom_size="" mask_position="" mask_custom_position="" mask_repeat="" style_type="" hover_type="none" margin_medium="" margin_small="" caption_style="off" caption_align_medium="none" caption_align_small="none" caption_align="none" caption_title_tag="2" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0" image_id="6080|full"]https://westwoodgardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Westwood-Gardens-Arkansas-How-to-Prepare-for-Storms-and-Droughts-pulling-weeds.jpg[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_separator style_type="none" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" top_margin="10" bottom_margin="10" alignment="center" /][fusion_text rule_style="default" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3"]

• Get weeding! Your plants don't need to be competing with any unwelcome guests for water or nutrients during a drought, so make sure to completely remove any weeds by the roots.

• Water your plants early in the morning when the least amount of evaporation will occur.

• Water your plants deeply at the base, so the roots absorb as much as possible. Avoid spreading water everywhere by spraying the entire plant and leaves, as this can actually do more harm than good.

To learn more about what you can do to storm-proof your Arkansas garden or to gather supplies for the tornado season ahead, visit one of our Westwood Gardens locations in Fayetteville, Rogers, or Springdale today![/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]