The pandemic that had us trapped within the confines of the four walls at home is slowly coming to an end. The new normal brings with it the promise of a better tomorrow spent in the great outdoors, breathing in the fresh air and appreciating what we’ve been missing out on. Not being able to go out to shop, see our loved ones, or even work has taken its toll on almost everyone. Self-isolation’s side effects on our mental and physical health continue to unfold to this day.
The isolation hasn’t been all bad, though. An interesting development in the world of indoor plants, backyard gardens, and modern small-scale crop growing has been dominating households all over the world. The urge to be surrounded by greenery and beautiful plants is relatively self-explanatory as we were spending most of our time indoors; we craved a touch of nature in our homes. It’s also not hard to understand why people started paying more attention to their backyard gardens or growing their own produce.
During the pandemic, fresh fruits and vegetables were a hot commodity in smaller-scale and chair groceries. Craving the freshness of ripe tomatoes and fresh leafy greens to break up the leftovers or take out was something everybody yearned for. Outside of growing produce, many people also started to take an interest in regular gardening. Amateur landscaping allowed them to add beautiful plants and flowers to their backyard, or even simple potted plants in apartments and condos added a whole new feel. Whichever you’re going for, there are various factors you’ll need to consider.
Space
Determining which space you’ll be working with can help set the confines or boundaries for your project. If you’re working with a smaller outdoor space, then you’ll want to plan out your space well so that you don’t end up with a crowded miniature jungle in your home. Indoor spaces which require hanging or potted plants are a joy to decorate and visualize as they mix modern textures with earthy tones. More extensive projects such as a dedicated greenhouse or small-scale crop spaces give you the liberty to plant various crops or plants all in one place.
Climate
Your climate significantly affects the types of plants you’ll be able to grow. Planting suitable crops during specific seasons leads to the best results. You can look up your area’s seasonal forecasts and climate zones to carefully consider them when choosing your seeds. Your local gardening center can also guide you with how to pick out which seeds and their length till maturity will best suit your garden. Your current season will also determine which seeds or plantings will be able to flourish in your garden. The colder months, fall, spring, and summer all have a variety of plants you can choose from.
Soil
Testing your soil for its composition and deficiencies can guide the additives or treatments you’ll need to achieve the optimal balance for plant growth. Testing kits are available through local cooperatives or gardening stores. These tests can help determine the pH balance and the number of impurities in your soil.
Tools
Once you’re set with what you want to grow, where you want to plant them, and your soil is prepped and ready, you’ll need some essential gardening tools. Some plants and soil require special tools for various methods of panting, but at the very least, you’ll need the basics. A high-quality shovel, spade, fork, hose, watering can, hand towel, and durable gloves are just some essential items on the top of every gardener’s list.
Investing in quality tools built to last will be a great way to ensure you’ll get good use out of them, but lower-cost alternatives are also great for beginners. Once you’ve got the basics you can start looking into more evolved tools you can play with to help your garden.
Maintenance
Gardening is quite a conundrum as it’s a hobby that bears in fruits, literally, in the long run, but requires your daily attentiveness. If your garden is an unsegregated part of your backyard, young children can accidentally walk over your budding garden and leading to major setbacks, which can be demotivating. If you have pets in your family, especially dogs, you’d want to consider keeping an eye on them or enrolling them in dog training to ensure that they don’t go digging around in your hard work.
Spending the days under the sun with our hands in the soil, surrounded by greenery, is an excellent hobby to shake off the dust from being stuck at home for so long. In fact, grounding or walking on grass with our bare feet has become a popular way of reconnecting and centering ourselves even in the midst of such difficult times. It’s no surprise that more and more people are getting back into gardening.
