Home gardening during this pandemic is, to say the least, on an upswing. The reasons why are logical, during quarantine people have time on their hands and are looking for educational and fun activities to do as an individual and together as a family out in nature. There is the additional bonus of the peace of mind gardening brings knowing that there is a food source right in the backyard. There is also the element of creativity involved in planting, nurturing and growing living things that brings a much needed outlet for the human spirit to thrive. The fact that the pandemic erupted in the springtime in harmony with gardening time and the fact that even a novice gardener can realize wonderful results adds to the attraction.
Not unlike the victory gardens that Americans historically embraced during wartime, home gardens rich with vegetables ease food security issues and gives the gardener a warming feeling knowing that they can feed themselves and their families with a bounty from the garden, in addition there is the added security of knowing exactly where your food is coming from.
Jay Nicholson, General Manager of Frear’s Garden Center on Stone Road in Greece says in his 33 years working at Frear’s he has never seen anything like the interest in gardening that he is seeing this year. “We are very fortunate at Frear’s because we grow 99% of our vegetable plants right here at our garden center. We found that our supply of thousands of vegetables plants from our first sowing were exhausted three to four weeks earlier this year. People were coming into the garden center in early April to buy plants for their gardens. It was our job to educate them about the timing of planting outdoors. We always want to see success for all gardeners, especially for first time gardeners because success ensures that they will want to continue to have a garden throughout the years,” Nicholson said.
Because they grow their own plants and don’t have to rely on outside suppliers, Frear’s also has the benefit of a constant plant supply from their timed greenhouse sowings that provides a new supply of plants all during the spring and summer planting season. People new to gardening tend to be interested in food crops. Nicholson said, “The younger people tell me that they are trying something that their parents used to do, something that they grew up enjoying. There is a real excitement and enthusiasm among the new gardeners. They are mostly interested in the sustainable food crops, they want to have something that gives back.” Nicholson also notes that there was an increased interest in seed planting, especially among families with the kids learning about gardening with the planting of seeds and watching them grow. “Parents are finding that when kids grow vegetables themselves they are more apt to try them,” he said.
Jan Hassett, from Green Acres Farm and Nursery on Latta Road in Greece co-owns and operates the farm with her family. Hassett said, “We are seeing tons of new people, everybody is gardening and growing, it is a remarkable year at our garden center.” She said there is a strong interest in raised bed gardening. “We are seeing a 50-60% increase in sales and interest in raised bed gardening. I think it is because growing in a raised bed is an easy task and is very manageable. It is a great way of dipping your toes into gardening,” she said. Gardeners are also very interested in doing it right. “Our phone rings all day long, every day. People have all kinds of gardening questions. We are also fielding questions over our website and through emails. We are fortunate to have our same reliable and knowledgeable staff. People are really into do-it-yourself, doing their landscaping and yard work that they normally pay a service to do,” Hassett said.
Here are a few suggestions from The Sierra Club for a successful home garden:
1. Proper sunlight – consider how much direct sunlight your vegetable plants will receive. Most vegetable and flower plants need good direct sunlight.
2. Expand your vegetable bed options – this includes in-ground beds, raised beds, large containers in sunny spots in the yard, on the deck or balcony, and even small containers on your windowsills.
3. Grow what gives you the best yield in the space available.
4. Grow potatoes – you can use potatoes from the store as the starters and potatoes can be grown in containers.
5. Grow berries – berries give a high yield and take less time than planting fruit trees, and they provide important nutrients that boost the immune system.
6. Be adventurous with variety in your choices of fruits and vegetables.
7. Don’t forget the flowers – they provide food for pollinators which are so important for a successful garden. Pick a bouquet of flowers to bring in the house, flowers are great for mental health and the fact that you grew them yourself is extremely satisfying.
For more information on The Sierra Club visit www.sierraclub.org.
