Well,
it’s been quite a month folks and we aren’t done yet. The coronavirus outbreak
has the entire world on pins and needles, something that hasn’t affected our
planet as a whole for over a decade, and even then, it wasn’t anything like
this. Something this epic has many people, myself included, left feeling
unsettled and, frankly, downright worried.
Daily Routine Activities are Changing
Daily
routine activities get many people through trying times, yet things are
anything but routine with the closure of schools, restaurants, and other
gathering places – not to mention the millions of people whose jobs, healthcare
and even home life are in peril.
When
routine is no longer an answer, the best thing to do is stay busy. Luckily,
this is all transpiring during the month of spring, with warming temps and the beginning
of the growing season. This has many people “coronavirus” gardening with gusto,
either because they have extra time on their hands or due to concerns about
potential food shortages. One need only surf social media to see all the
“Victory Gardens” springing up.
How to Manage Isolation by Gardening
Desperate times call
for…gardening. Cabin
fever is real. For those suffering from cabin fever, isolation, and boredom,
getting some dirt under the nails and maybe even sweating a bit in the garden
is good for mental and physical health. Got kids at home? Enlist their
help. Gardening is a great way to keep the kiddos busy even if they aren’t
actually gardening but digging tunnels to far off lands.
If
you are in a zone that isn’t quite warm enough yet to plant, there are still
things you can do. Raking up last fall’s leaves, pruning back perennials and
trees, clearing space for a garden or new bed, or building paths or raised beds
can all be done even if the weather isn’t quite fully cooperative.
And
for those who have little to no garden space, it’s a good time to “spring
clean” your houseplants. Get your houseplants
out dusted or sprayed off. Transplant those that need it and start your
fertilizing routine for the growing season. Plant some pots with cheerful
annual flowers or summer bulbs.
We
can’t control much right now but we can take care of our physical and mental
health, and gardening is good for both. So get the kids, the dogs, and your
significant other off the couch and jump into some spring gardening for mental
health. Lord knows, during all this fear of coronavirus, gardening is the one
thing I’ve managed to do to keep me sane!