It’s been one year since the coronavirus pandemic began dramatically altering lives in America and around the world. We know the story from there; we’ve all been through it together.
Surges arose in COVID-19 cases, substance use, depression and anxiety amid restrictions. There’s no denying 2020 was a grim year.
But there was also some good among the bad, as Americans turned to positive pastimes to ease their worries. People went to drive-in movie theaters, bonded over “Tiger King” (remember that one?), adopted a record-breaking number of pets, and spent more time with their loved ones than they’d ever thought possible.
Many Americans also found themselves entranced with a new hobby — gardening.
“With everyone spending more time at home, attention has shifted from vacationing and travel to a homebody ideology,” says Clay Petty, nursery supervisor at Berns Garden Center in Middletown and Beavercreek. “Many residents have begun tackling renovation projects in the landscape or garden to improve their quality of life right at home.”
“Many psychological studies have proven the benefit of even a single living plant in your day-to-day environment to improve wellbeing and mental health,” he tells CityBeat.
Petty has worked at Berns Garden Center for seven years, but his interest in horticulture goes back to a very young age, which led him to pursue a degree in Residential Landscape Design at The Ohio State University.
His advice to new, aspiring green-thumbs — or even seasoned ones — is to know your vision for your garden, no matter if it’s on your lawn, in container boxes or on your apartment’s balcony.
“Are you in need of a tree to provide some shade over the patio? Or are you an avid home chef who would love to have an herb garden to supplement your recipes?” Petty asks. “Do you want to see color and bloom liven up your landscape, or perhaps need an evergreen privacy hedge to encapsulate your backyard utopia?”
A tight budget should never stop a future gardener from taking the leap and buying something exciting to kickstart their own personal oasis he says. Multiple sizes of certain plants allow for budget-friendly options.
Apartment and condo dwellers have a multitude of options when it comes to gardening in tight spaces. “Container gardening is an easy way to grow annuals, vegetables, or even shrubs with a limited outdoor area,” Petty says. Tomatoes are a rewarding and easy crop to grow in a patio setting as well.
Veggies are an inexpensive investment, with some delicious payoff, Petty says. In fact, March and April are the perfect months to start your vegetable gardens. Lettuce and other cole crops as well as root vegetables like onions and potatoes should be planted in the early spring months.
Ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials also can be planted during this time.
“March and April plantings allow enough time for rooting before we approach the heat of the summer and can cut back on water maintenance as opposed to planting later in the year,” Petty says.
If people are looking to spend some stimulus check money, or just splurge, on some fun garden additions, Petty has some recommendations.
“Typically the higher dollar items are fantastic focal points that poise themselves as the statement pieces of the landscape,” he says.
People often choose Japanese maples, spring-blooming weeping cherries, multi-tiered bonsai evergreens, or even long-lasting bloom hydrangea trees.
Remember, starting a garden doesn’t need to be stressful or expensive. It should be a soothing and exciting experience.
“The best takeaway from starting a garden in the spring and caring for it until fall is the satisfaction that goes hand in hand with being a steward of the plants in your garden,” Petty says.
This article appears in Best Of Cincinnati 2021.
