Many people took up gardening as a hobby during the pandemic. When things open up, they plan to keep spending time in the garden.
MEMPHIS, Tenn – If you’ve spent more time in the garden in the past year, you are not alone. Gardening flourished and more people were spending time at home during the pandemic.
People who discovered their green thumbs say they have plans to hold onto it this spring.
“Gardening was really one of the bright spots for me. I think just being outside in the sunshine helped a lot, “said Liz Kinnmark.
Kinnmark is one of the many people for whom gardening emerged from the pandemic as a hobby.
“It’s just too nutritious to bond with plants and keep your hands in the dirt,” she said. “It was kind of a relaxing activity when a lot of things in my life were very stressful.”
Gardening has always been a hobby for LaToya Chavers, but during the pandemic, she said, her garden flourished. She spent a lot of time in the garden, so much time that it became a business adventure for her on top of her career.
“It’s important for people to know that you can grow your own food,” she said. “You don’t have to go to the grocery store all the time. You can grow in your garden or on your balcony. “
She started container gardening with Toya LLC to show others they can grow food in a small space, be it in a small garden or on a balcony in an apartment. All they need is sunlight, a container, and potting soil, she said.
“Most of the people I speak to are brand new gardeners and they’re just starting out and don’t know what to do, but because of the desserts and the work from home that’s a good idea,” she said. “I think a lot of people have thought of starting a garden.”
For budding gardeners like Kinnmark, the journey began when she worked for her company, Bendy Beast Fitness, at her new studio on Lamar Ave. worked. She was working to mend the overgrown grass and weeds that surrounded the building.
That was just before the pandemic and concluded her personal courses for the next year.
“When COVID hit, I had just given a taste of gardening and I realized I could still do that,” she said. “I probably would have had a bit of fun with it, but it really became a creative outlet during COVID.”
By now you would never know that this area has been overgrown by the flowers that surround it. Not only did it bring joy to Kinnmark, but also to the community that passed by.
Kinnmark said she reopened her business for the first time this Saturday, but gardening will stay with her.
Information that will help make your garden attractive to wildlife. Find more information and obtain certification from the National Wildlife Federation here. The website also included information on backyard and wildlife-friendly gardening tips in Enjoy Nature and Gardening at Home. Guides who grow, store, and prepare various vegetables; also in spanish
