It’s time to spring forward
Mark your calendar to move your clocks up an hour on Sunday, March 12, as Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins at 2 a.m. on that date. DST, which is designed to add an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, will end at 2 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 5. U.S. Department of Transportation studies have shown that DST cuts the nation’s energy usage by about 1 percent per day because less power is needed for lighting and appliance use.
Simplify your gardening routine with innovative tools
Gardening is a wholesome task of manipulating the soil, planting favorite flowers and vegetables, and watching nature take its course — with plenty of nurturing in between. While the process of gardening may be the same, the tools used continue to improve. Stay true to your love of weeding, watering and reaping, but make the process easier with these innovative garden tools.
Easily protect plants
Keep spring plants and vegetables safe from cold temperatures and wind with pop-up plant covers. The 
covers are designed to pop open and close for easy use and storage. Gardener’s Supply Co. says its product can help plants grow 25 percent faster, leading to an earlier harvest. www.gardeners.com | $13 to $20
The ultimate leaf rake
Say goodbye to stick-straight wooden hand holds and inflexible rakes and hello to ergonomic, lightweight and flexible, specially designed tines. Fiskars 24-inch leaf rake makes sprucing up your yard a breeze, while getting optimal results with every swipe. www.Fiskars.com | $20
Water when you are gone
Take the stress out of watering your garden with a water timer. The Orbit Single-Dial Hose Faucet Timer has a large dial that allows you to easily program it for your watering needs. It is battery-operated and weatherproof. Orbit also has models with multiple hose valves for large-scale watering.
www.orbitonline.com | $30
Keep your wheelbarrow organized
Make one trip with the Little Burro wheelbarrow organizer. Multiple partitions, and rack and shovel rests allow you to keep all your gardening tools organized and safe when rolling into your garden. Your keys, phone and sunglasses make the trip in a closeable compartment.
www.littleburros.com | $60
Garden know-it-all
The Edyn Garden Sensor lets you know what is going on with your garden at all times. The solar-powered garden sensor connects to your home’s Wi-Fi to send you data on your garden via the Edyn app. The sensor tracks garden light, moisture, humidity and nutrition. www.edyn.com | $100
Compost organic matter faster
If your compost pile is not producing fast enough, try a tumbling composter. The Yimby composter’s dual chamber allows for fast and efficient homemade compost. Turn the tumbler every few days to break up material and help speed up decomposition. www.gardeners.com | $90
A better shovel
Much like the handy rake, a shovel is an essential gardening tool. This Radius Pro-Lite Shovel has a round-point, ergonomic handle and works in all soil types. Along with being sturdy, it comes in multiple colors such as green, purple and blue.
www.radiusgarden.com | $31
Source: Ruralite
Great American Cleanup launches March 20 in Arkansas
Arkansans statewide are encouraged to beautify their communities by coordinating a cleanup in the Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup. The spring cleanup campaign is coordinated and promoted by the Keep Arkansas Beautiful (KAB) Commission and runs from March 20 through May 31. All Arkansans are encouraged to get involved in this effort to improve the environmental quality and standard of living in communities across the state and nation.
Last year’s Great American Cleanup featured 160 local events across the state involving nearly 7,000 Arkansans who picked up more than 290,000 pounds of litter and collected over 839,000 pounds of bulky waste from roughly 780 miles of roadway and waterway.
“The Great American Cleanup is an excellent opportunity for Arkansans to make a positive impact on the environment, the state and their local communities,” said Elizabeth Philpott, KAB volunteer program manager. “We encourage Arkansans to participate by coordinating a cleanup and helping us preserve and sustain the natural state of Arkansas.”
Those who would like to coordinate an event in their community or volunteer for a local event can register at www.KeepArkansasBeautiful.com or email info@keeparkansasbeautiful.com. Coordinators may visit KeepArkansasBeautiful.com to access free promotional tools such as a cleanup instructional video and printable publicity materials. KAB will also provide cleanup materials and supplies, such as T-shirts, trash bags, gloves and safety vests, to local events while supplies last.
The KAB commission, consisting of a professional staff and a nine-member advisory board appointed by the governor, is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. As a certified state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., KAB inspires and educates individuals to reduce litter, recycle and keep Arkansas beautiful. KAB is funded through its 1 percent portion of the eighth-cent Conservation Tax and, by mobilizing volunteers, returns to the state a cost benefit of more than $6 in community service for each program dollar spent. For more information, visit KeepArkansasBeautiful.com.
Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s premier community improvement organization. Founded in 1953, the nonprofit has a network of affiliates around the U.S. focused on litter prevention, waste reduction and beautification. Keep America Beautiful is recognized as the leader in changing attitudes and behaviors affecting our community environments. For more information, visit kab.org.