[KHTS] – The fifth annual KHTS Home and Garden Show, a free two-day event scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Valencia Hyatt, will feature aquaponics workshops held by Sunland Water Gardens.

Sunland Water Gardens, a family-run aquatic nursery which grows and sells aquatic plants, koi fish, pond fish and pond supplies, began practicing aquaponic gardening about four years ago. Aquaponics is a way of home-growing completely organic vegetables and fish together without the use of chemicals.

“I look at aquaponics as a modern-day victory garden, except there’s no bending, no weeding and no chemicals,” said Jacklyn Rodman, owner of Sunland Water Gardens. “I’m trying to promote sustainability, where you can put in edible fish like talapia, catfish or bass, and raise them organically. You feed the fish, the fish waste will make the nutrients for the plants, and the plants will filter the nutrients, so you get organic vegetables and organic fish that you can choose to eat whenever you want.”

Sunland Water Gardens plans to build a full-sized pond at the event and will hold free workshops throughout the weekend that show Santa Clarita residents how to easily build the aquaponics system, how to plant it and different methods of aquaponics, event officials said.

One of the primary benefits of aquaponic gardening is the fact that it’s completely organic and chemical-free, so aquaponic gardeners don’t need to worry about feeding themselves or their families genetically-modified food.

Aquaponics also uses about a 20th of the amount of water a lawn or regular garden uses because it recirculates the same water over and over, which helps to conserve water during California’s ongoing drought, Rodman said.

In addition, the plant bed and tank only take up a fraction of the space of an ordinary garden, and is easy enough for the whole family to participate.

“You can put a lot of different types of vegetables in a really tight area and they’ll grow perfectly great,” Rodman said. “You can use an area as small as two feet by four feet, so that will fit on a balcony, patio or someplace where someone doesn’t have a lot of room. And it’s so easy, it’s a good family project.”

Other features of the annual KHTS Home and Garden Show include exhibits by more than 100 vendors, ranging from emergency response and health services to home improvement businesses, nonprofit charities and more, and demonstrations, drawings, special offers and free giveaways will be offered throughout the weekend as well. A Kid’s Zone will entertain children with a bouncer, video games, face painting and special building and gardening activities just for kids.

The free KHTS Home and Garden Show is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Valencia, located at 24500 Town Center Drive at McBean Parkway.

For more information about Sunland Water Gardens, click here. For more information about the KHTS Home and Garden Show, click here.

– Melissa Lampert