Humans have a deep connection to nature, but how often do you step outside to really appreciate your garden and its vital role in our communities?
June 13 to 21 marks Garden Days, a joyful, week-long celebration of gardens and gardening. The celebration highlights Canada’s garden culture, history and innovations, and acknowledges the importance of public and private gardens, the value of home gardening and the role that gardens play in environmental stewardship.
COVID-19 has had many unexpected impacts on how we live, and as spring turns into summer, local gardening centres are buzzing as more and more of us look to gardening as a way of connecting with nature.
Studies show that being in a natural outdoor setting has therapeutic value. Taking a stroll outdoors or tending to a garden is not only good exercise, but it offers the soul a sense of renewal, improving the mood and calming the senses.
This time of social isolation has people sticking closer to their homes, and as a result, many of us are rediscovering the beauty in our own gardens. Our yards can offer us the perfect retreat and the extra time at home can inspire us to take even better care of our plants.
Gardens may be beautiful to look at, but it is important to remember that gardening is much more than just a hobby. Flower gardens are often underappreciated or dismissed as being simply pleasing to the eye, but the ecological values of flowering plants should not be underestimated.
While gardens are places of beauty and refuge to us, they also provide pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies, and create key habitat for songbirds, protecting many species threatened by habitat loss.
If you love to garden and have been wanting to grow a food garden this summer, why not grow a Don’t Mow Grow Victory Garden? Earthwise Society will provide gardeners with a free starter kit, along with some planting advice, and gardeners can donate a portion of what they grow to those in need through Delta Food Coalition in response to COVID-19.
For those who don’t have gardens of their own but are craving that feeling of soil between the fingers, Earthwise is always welcoming new volunteers. Volunteering at Earthwise is a great way to get outdoors, exercise your green thumb and feel connected to the community even during these solitary days.
There is plenty of room to maintain an appropriate physical distance while getting some much needed fresh air and exercise. Small groups of volunteers have been busy working in different areas of the Earthwise Garden, enjoying the spring blooms and companionship of other gardeners.
To learn more about volunteering opportunities at Earthwise, or to get involved in the Victory Garden program, contact [email protected].
