May 31 Column: Impact of COVID19 on Gardeners
Not that I ever want to speed things along, but thank heavens we’ve finally reached the last day of May! I swear it lasted about 100 days. Do you feel the same way? On a related note, my garden column is about the impact COVID-19 is having on gardeners these days.
You can read it in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Events are canceled but there’s still plenty of good to harvest. You can also read my column below. Don’t miss this week’s video underneath it!
The past 3 months have been surreal. The stay-home orders, social distancing guidelines, and shuttered businesses are unsettling. As well as the difficulty we’ve all been experiencing when trying to purchase seeds, tools, plants, and other gardening supplies.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve searched for something online because I can’t find it locally, only to see the words, “out of stock.” Argh! Even when I luck out by actually locating a product, shipping is super slow. This is teaching me to make do with what I have and postpone a few plans until next year.
In my column, I tried my best to be positive. Unfortunately, I had to report several cancellations of events we Inland Northwest gardeners love to attend every year. (sorry, folks) But I ended the column on a positive note which I hope you’ll all take to heart.
Column:
I know we’re all stunned by the way the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our daily lives. The past three months have been surreal. It has disrupted so many of our routines. COVID-19 has affected gardeners of the Inland Northwest and across the nation.
The most positive impact is the surge of interest in growing edible gardens. I personally am delighted because it’s a skill everyone should have. And the end result is that gardeners get to eat healthy, delicious produce.
Unfortunately, the popularity of gardening has made it challenging as well. This includes locating garden staples such as seeds, plants and tools. Many supplies have been overwhelmed with online orders and forced to temporarily close in an effort to catch up.
The good news is that most garden centers are now open. They do require customers to wear masks and observe social distancing guidelines as you’d expect. Online seed companies are back in business as well, but some items are sold out or difficult to obtain.
On a personal level, the stay-home restrictions have changed quite a few of my plans for this year. The majority of my speaking engagements have been cancelled. The summertime tour of English gardens that I would have led was also cancelled. That was a painful but sensible decision.
I’ve been shifting the focus of most of my columns to cover what new gardeners need to know in order to successfully grow vegetables. I feel it’s important to pass along the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years.
Cancelled garden events
Every year, I always enjoy writing about the annual events that gardeners look forward to. Unfortunately, they been impacted as well.
This includes the Spokane County Master Gardeners’ two premier events. The Cabin Fever Gardening Symposium and their Garden Fair & Plant Sale had to be shelved this year. That’s in addition to the many helpful classes they conduct each spring.
The hardworking members of the Inland Empire Gardeners have had to postpone their wildly popular Garden Expo. It’s usually held on Mother’s Day weekend and will take place on Sept. 5. They cancelled their Spokane in Bloom garden tour which normally takes occurs annually in mid-June.
The Friends of Manito cancelled their spring plant sale, which would have been held on Saturday, June 6. Plant-shoppers will be happy to hear they still intend to hold their fall plant sale on Aug. 29.
The Coeur d’Alene Garden Club has had to cancel their annual garden tour, which was originally scheduled for late July.
Garden tours are always a pleasure to participate in. These cancellations have a larger impact than the disappointment gardeners feel upon learning they won’t take place. The proceeds from the tours benefit local charitable organizations and fund scholarships won’t be available.
Positive aspects of gardens
It’s discouraging that events have been cancelled due to COVID-19 this year but they will be back. The best thing we can do is keep a positive outlook.
For one thing, we gardeners have been devoting a lot of extra attention to our gardens this year. They are looking better than ever, right? I’ve turned into a “helicopter gardener” by making frequent trips outdoors to see if the plants have grown any taller. And woe be unto any insect pest that dares to munch any of my veggie plants. That’s because I’m going to be on it in a flash.
One thing I repeatedly hear my gardening friends say is “thank heavens for my garden.” This is so true: enjoy the peace of your garden and delight in watching things grow.
This week’s video:
For this week’s “Everyone Can Grow a Garden” video, I decided it was time for the first virtual vegetable garden tour of the season. After all, our weather is finally nicer and plants are actually growing. I hope you’ll enjoy it: