Gardens Are Growing Due to Uncertain Times

The benefits of gardening reach far beyond basic sustenance toward humans’ inherent need to be close to nature. Ground Picture/Shutterstock

It became trendy again in 2020, with more than 20 million people doing it for the first time.

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• It’s estimated that more than 20 million Americans planted a vegetable garden for the first time during the pandemic.
• Gardening has taken on a sense of novelty as many view it as a hobby or leisure activity, but in relatively recent history—prior to industrialization—nearly all Americans grew food.
• Growing your own food is something I encourage virtually everyone to take part in, even if you have limited space.
• In addition to fresh produce from your garden, round out your preparatory food supply with nutritious shelf-stable foods and a clean supply of potable water.
• Gardening has also been treasured just as much for its nutritious harvests as for the solace and healing it provides.

Home gardens became trendy again in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic led to societal upheaval. At the time, seed suppliers were overwhelmed by the unprecedented demand [1] of people looking to take control of one of the most basic forms of self-preservation—growing your own food.