Sowing the seeds of self-care

April 2, 2020 by
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Every year I have great plans to create a large, bountiful garden that will supply me with an abundance of vegetables. It never gets quite as large as I envision, but I usually get enough plants to at least supplement my weekly grocery shop with vegetables like cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, and lettuce. This year the garden is taking on even more significance. Not only is my garden a way to ensure I have a steady of supply of food, but it also helps manage anxiety and provides a healthful hobby that I can practice in the safety of my own yard. Planting a garden – even if it’s just a couple of pots on a patio or windowsill – can be provide comfort and elevate your mood. Writer Stephen Heyman agrees in his post on Heated about the joys and benefits of planting a garden.

Heyman compares the current renewed interest in gardening to the World War II Victory gardens that dotted yards across the U.S., Canada, Australia and Europe during that difficult period. Lest you think that growing food in our backyards won’t even make a dent in the supply of food, Heyman notes that at their peak, victory gardens provided 40 percent of the the United States’ fresh fruit and vegetables.

You don’t need to have experience in order to derive pleasure and get results from a small garden. We modern folk have an advantage of the WWII-era gardeners in that we have at our fingertips a vast repository of gardening advice, instructional videos, and companies from which to purchase seeds, soil, and equipment. Even if it’s just one cherry tomato plant on your stoop or a small pot of baby greens, planting and harvesting something will give you pleasure far in excess of the effort put into it. Heyman ends on a hopeful note: “May this year’s victory gardens be not only a temporary salve but a perennial habit.”

Category: Antipasto

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4 Comments

  • hillsboroks  on  April 2, 2020

    We’ve been noticing neighbors digging up parts of their yards to put gardens in the past few weeks. At our old house we had a garden that was about 20′ X 40′. It wasn’t huge but we provided neighbors, friends and family with all the vegetables they wanted plus we had enough for ourselves to can, pickle and eat fresh veggies all summer long.

  • eliza  on  April 3, 2020

    My allotment usually feeds me with veg all year and I’ve always had plenty to give to all my neighbours during the growing season. Sadly, our allotments have now been declared off limits by our city due to the health emergency. At this point I’d be happy with 10 minutes a week to harvest my asparagus!

  • sanfrannative  on  April 3, 2020

    I’m really appreciating the kale I sowed in autumn. I’m still getting lots of good harvest from it. I recommend planting some lettuce or spinach or kale. Get a pot of soil, sprinkle on the seeds, and scratch them in a little. Water gently. In two weeks you have a salad! Cut off the leaves and they will just grow you more greens.

  • Rinshin  on  April 3, 2020

    We have already planted tomatoes along a driveway fence leading from the street to our garage which is long. The back yard raised beds have been worked on for planting seeds this week. Last year I was griping to myself for having super abundance of tomatoes which had me making marinara and tomato sauces 3 separate times. I don’t like canning in huge quantity much because it us such a job, but sure glad I did now.

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