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A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 14 January 2020
Gardening trends for 2020? Think unconventional, sustainable

By DEAN FOSDICK versity of Florida horticultur-
Associated Press ists say.
Gardeners in 2020 will veer --Novel Greens. Vegetable
from the beaten path, opt- gardeners will be looking
ing for unconventional va- to diversify their harvests
rieties and eco-conscious with leafy greens generally
surroundings, according grown outside the United
to a plant trends study by States — bok choy, mizuna
horticulturalists with the Uni- and komatsuna among
versity of Florida Institute of them, according to the
Food and Agricultural Sci- horticulturists.
ences (UF/IFAS). --Landscaping for Natural
Their forecast is based Disasters. ``Storms are be-
largely on market observa- coming more erratic and
tions and feedback from more feared," Tancig said.
people seeking information ``Plant the kinds of trees
from Extension offices. around your home that re-
Interest is strong for native duce risk."
plants, dwarf hybrids, ``re- --Softer, Leafier Floral Ar-
wilding'' gardens, edible rangements. Flowers com-
settings, wildlife-friendly bined with foliage are
landscapes, dark foliage, gaining in popularity. ``We
succulents, novel greens, This June 15, 2015 photo shows a dwarf hybrid blueberry plant growing in a container on a are going away from the
landscaping for natural di- residential sidewalk near Langley, Wash. bundle bouquet of solitary
sasters, and softer, leafier Associated Press flower blooms to the soft,
floral arrangements, the organic feel of greenery,"
horticulturists said. to return to their natu- agent in Sarasota County. known succulents that offer said Karen Stauderman,
``More and more folks are ral shapes, let grass grow --Succulents. People are interesting shapes, textures an Extension horticulture
wanting to think about sus- longer and permit a few reaching out for lesser- and growth habits, the Uni- agent for Volusia County.q
tainability,'' said Mark Tan- weeds to flower, said The-
agent for Pinellas County. China mourns native paddlefish
cig, a UF/IFAS agent based resa Badurek, horticulture
in Leon County.
``They're wanting to plant ``Some of those volunteer
things that don't require weeds may be great wild- scientists say is now extinct
as much water or fertilizer," flowers."
he said. ``Plants that resist --Edible Settings. Fruit-bear- By YANAN WANG
disease and insects. Plants ing plants, ornamental veg-
that provide for wildlife etables and edible flowers Associated Press
use and need less mainte- do double duty, adding BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese paddlefish's
sharp, protruding snout made it one of
nance and input. That not beauty as well as nutrition
only saves money but it to the home landscape. the largest freshwater species in the
looks good, too. It's restor- --Plants for Wildlife. world. Since scientists declared it extinct
ative to the environment." ``Most contemporary land- in a research paper published last week,
Chinese internet users and media outlets
Breaking down the study's scapes lack diversity, so
trending Top 10: gardeners should choose a have been paying tribute to the hefty
creature.
--Native Plants. These plants variety of plants that flow-
original to a specific place er and fruit," Badurek said. "It's farewell at first sight," said China Youth In this Nov. 11, 2016, photo provided by the
generally are lower main- Plants with berries attract Daily, noting that many were lamenta- Museum of Hydrobiological Science of the
tenance, requiring less wa- birds, and layering plants bly unfamiliar with the paddlefish before Chinese Academy of Sciences, a Chinese
learning of its demise. Users shared similar
ter, pruning and fertilizer. of varying heights provides paddlefish specimen made in 1990 is seen
--Dwarf Hybrids. Gardeners hiding places for other spe- sentiments on the Twitter-like Weibo plat- on display at the Museum of Hydrobiological
without a lot of living space cies. form. Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
increasingly are choosing --Dark Foliage. Plants with So named for its distinctive shape, the in Wuhan, China. Associated Press
the dwarf varieties of their red, purple or black leaves Chinese paddlefish, or Chinese sword-
favorite plants. They also are striking additions to any fish, had a lineage dating back at least from the Chinese Academy of Fishery
require less pruning. landscape, making them 34 million years, scientists believe. Sciences, the University of Kent and the
--Re-Wilding Gardens. To attractive to gardeners It could grow as long as 7 meters (23 University of South Bohemia in the Czech
encourage beneficial in- looking for something new feet), but in the end, it couldn't survive Republic.
sects and the health of in 2020, said Marguerite the overfishing, habitat fragmentation The paper said since the late 1970s Chi-
your garden, allow shrubs Beckford, a horticulture and loss of biodiversity in its native Yang- nese paddlefish populations declined
tze River, according to a research paper drastically.
in the Science of The Total Environment, The decline corresponded with major
a peer-reviewed environmental science dam construction in the Yangtze.
journal. During that time, the Gezhouba Dam
"As no individuals exist in captivity, and was built on the main stream of the river,
no living tissues are conserved for poten- and the opening of the Three Gorges
tial resurrection, the fish should be con- dam project followed in 2003 — the last
sidered extinct," the paper said, pointing year a live Chinese paddlefish was sight-
to criteria for inclusion on the Interna- ed.
tional Union for Conservation of Nature's A survey in 2017 and 2018 found 332 fish
(IUCN) Red List. species in the Yangtze, but not a single
The paper was authored by scientists specimen of Chinese paddlefish. q