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!
