From victory gardens to windowsill celery, ‘spring is not cancelled’

With the COVID-19 pandemic top of mind, gardening centre owner Tanya Olsen has noticed a theme early this season.

Many clients at the Guelph, Ont., business Royal City Nursery say they’ve found the springtime routine of gardening to be a welcome respite in these uncertain times, she said.

“They’re looking for an opportunity to return a little bit to normal and just maintain the rhythm that you would normally do,” Olsen said.

Like other back-to-basics activities such as baking, sewing and walking, gardening enthusiasts describe the activity as an effective stress reliever. And many are evoking the spirit of “victory gardening” — named after a directive by governments during the First and Second World Wars for people to plant their own produce as a way to help sustain the food supply.

“It’s also about getting our fingers dirty,” said Olsen. “It’s about getting the ability to get back to nature and to do something that is very simple.”

For Lindsay Stuijfzand, who runs the Toronto-based Pretty Tasty Gardens home vegetable gardening service, the process is something she cherishes from beginning to end.

“Just touching the soil, putting the seeds in and watering it and attending to it, it’s so mentally relieving,” she said. “It becomes almost meditative. I don’t do yoga - I just garden.”

With Canadians being urged to stay at home when possible, gardening can be an attractive option whether you have a vast rural property or a small downtown apartment.

It may be something as simple as tucking some small plants by the windowsill. Maybe it’s trying your hand at growing vegetables.

Or it could be working to ensure a bounty of plush flowers rule the soil.

“Even if you get some planters and put a pot in, drop a seed in and just do it,” Stuijfzand said. “It’s such a nice experience.”

An enjoyable activity for any age, children can also benefit by learning some gardening basics. It can also help fill gaps in their daily routine while out of school.

Self-watering container gardens may be a good place to start. Kids may also get a kick out of using empty egg cartons or plastic containers for small gardening projects.

Olsen, also a professor and horticulture apprentice program co-ordinator at Toronto’s Humber College, has seen a “substantial” drop in the age of her clientele this season.

“We are seeing every single age bracket and it’s awesome,” she said. “Gardening does not discriminate.”

Her No. 1 tip for gardeners is to invest in reliable resources that can steer you towards a positive growing experience.