An interview with author Deb Goodwin that recently aired on CBC at the end of March brought to light the benefits of gardening during hard times. She has written a memoir, ‘A Victory Garden for Trying Times,’ giving individuals a perspective on how she dealt with the final year of her husband’s death, and how growing a garden brought her a sense of peace and normalcy to her grieving heart. While her husband was being treated for cancer, she admitted she needed something to distract her, but also to remind her that life goes on.
“I've always found being in the garden a wonderful solace," she said.
Her thoughts are that growing a garden now during this pandemic might help to alleviate some of the stress individuals feel as our world has turned upside down.
As we all know, it takes a lot of patience to grow and nurture a garden and with more time on our hands, it just might be a good fit for many.
In this season of social distancing as individuals hunker down at home, gardening could help to pass the time, as well as providing fresh vegetables during the uncertainty of our present food supply.
The health benefits of gardening have long been known to lower stress; in fact, it’s a known fact that many have said they get more satisfaction from gardening than from having sex. Sort of a funny analogy but I guess if that’s what floats your boat, good for you.
The idea of a victory garden is certainly not new. During WWI, citizens in Britain were encouraged to grown gardens in an effort to help ease food shortages. As we are well into this pandemic and spring planting season quickly approaching on the prairies, tending to a garden would be a great distraction.
Bringing this to a local perspective, it fits right in with the conversation that was going on at city hall during the April 9th pandemic preparation news conference. There is an article in this edition by Robert Thomas, Back alley potato and petunia gardens will not see enforcement action, regarding questions directed to city manager Mr. Puffalt. Puffalt stated that at least for the time being, a ‘lives over lawns’ approach was more in order. He stated, “I don’t believe in this condition that we would be over drastic on what we are proposing, and I don’t believe we were planning to actively enforce.”
I’m not sure if any of the citizens of Moose Jaw are able to put any weight to these comments as it seems city hall has not been very forthcoming with absolutes, but time will tell.
