For our research, we utilized an online survey that surveyed more than 3700 respondents who resided in Germany, the U.S., Germany and Australia. The respondents included gardeners with experience and those who were brand new to the hobby.
Nearly half of those who were surveyed were anxious, lonely, and depressed in the initial stages of this pandemic. But more than 75% discovered the immense benefits of gardening during the same time. It doesn’t matter if you do it in the city or the countryside, gardening has always been described as a way to relax and socialize, or connect to nature, or keep active.
Over half of the respondents noted a significant increase in the time they could devote to gardening. Some respondents saw some benefit in their garden. However, a only a few felt financially motivated to grow their food.
The majority of respondents considered gardening an opportunity to be part of their local community and also get exercise.
People who have more personal challenges caused by COVID-19, such as the difficulties of working or with childcare, were much more inclined to devote their garden time in their free time than previously.
The garden as an oasis
When we looked at the responses to the survey writing that we received, the majority of gardeners reported feeling a higher feeling of happiness and confidence or were more in tune with nature. The results were positive psychological and therapeutic advantages, regardless of age and place of residence.
For many people, gardening became a safe place to escape all the stress of life. One German gardener began seeing their garden as a refuge in which even “birds felt louder.”
“Gardening has been my salvation,” one respondent within the U.S. noted. “I’m very grateful I can surround myself with beauty as a buffer to the depressing news COVID brings each day.”
Another German gardener wrote that the garden of their home became their “little secure universe in an extremely uncertain and potentially dangerous period. … We’ve come to appreciate the already valuable value of our own home, own land in a way that is even greater.”
Green prescriptions
When life resumes normal, the pace of work increases and obligations increase, how many gardens are currently being ignored?
Is a pastime born out of unique circumstances disappear to the side?
I’m hoping it’s not. Gardening shouldn’t be a pastime that’s only a priority in times of crisis. In fact, the epidemic showed that gardens fulfill an important public health need. They’re more than just locations that are beautiful or a source to eat; they’re also a conduit to heal.
