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Many respondents indicated that they would be gardening because it gave them something creative to do while stuck at home during the pandemic. They appreciated that it also provided them with a source of exercise and helped them cope with stress.
Over 80 per cent surveyed felt they had been very successful in their gardening activities this year. Nearly 86 per cent of homeowners, many of them new gardeners, planned to continue gardening and about half of them said they would be expanding their garden space.
Surprisingly, growing flowers, either annuals or perennials, was, by far, the most popular activity. Planting shrubs and trees was next, and growing vegetables rounded out the top-three garden priorities. About one-third of the folks interviewed ranked container gardening high on their list, and about half said indoor gardening was very important to them. When asked, “Why garden?” the most frequent responses were to add beauty to their lives or to beautify an outdoor space.
We, in Canada, are seeing the same trends. More people are beginning to realize the important connection between growing plants and better health. Starting plants from seed, nurturing seedlings, learning to deal with the challenges of weather and pests, and recognizing the need to provide good organic nutrition are all things that connect us to nature, which in turn leads to a more positive state of mental and physical health.
As we strive to eat a healthier diet, there has been a huge growth in windowsill gardening. Growing micro-greens and herb gardening are now significant year-round activities, resulting in these natural herbs and spices adding nutrition and unique flavours to our foods. Today, folks are growing a wide range of herbs from around the world, particularly those from Asia and South America. Herbs also add new fragrances to our containers and attract bees and other pollinators to our gardens.