The perfect activity for self-isolation? Gardening benefits may be more acutely felt this season
Self-isolating and looking for a project? Why not get outdoors and do a little gardening?
Penn State Master Gardeners Larry and Lisa Campbell tout the myriad benefits of gardening that hold true any normal spring and summer, but which are in many ways more acutely felt during self-isolation.
Lisa Campbell thinks spending time outdoors every day is one of the best things you can do for yourself at this time.
“In addition to getting a nice dose of vitamin D from the sunshine, you’ll decrease your stress levels and experience a more positive mood,” she said. “It’s hard to feel so isolated when you’re outdoors in nature with the buds blooming on the fruit trees, and the spring plants emerging from the gardens. ... It’s also a great way to get some exercise by preparing existing gardens or digging a new garden for a nice summer harvest or a riot of colors from flowers planted.”
Larry and Lisa have been Penn State Master Gardeners in Centre County since 2008, Larry focusing on vegetable and fruit gardening, Lisa specializing on flower gardening. To earn Master Gardener certification, members of the community are required to take a 30-hour course, pass an exam and then complete 50 hours of volunteer work over the course of a year. After receiving initial certification, Master Gardeners retain their status by completing 25 hours of volunteer work and 10 hours of additional instruction every year.
In Centre County, Master Gardeners have a wide range of volunteer projects to choose from, including gardening projects at Centre Crest in Bellefonte, local elementary schools and parks.
“I think there is great joy to be had from just growing fruits and vegetables,” Larry said. “As for vegetables, these are so easy to grow and take very little investment to get started. ... If you’ve ever grown a fresh tomato plant in your garden and you get that first tomato, you’ll swear you’ve never tasted a better, fresher tomato than that one. You’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing it was grown without pesticides or other potentially harmful chemicals.”
An added benefit for this season, he said, is that it’s social distancing-friendly.
“You don’t need anyone other than yourself to garden with you, if you so choose, as part of social distancing,” he said. “But it can also be a family experience and can be very educational for your children to learn where their food comes from and how to grow food, herbs or flowers.”
Gardening gives parents the chance to teach children of all ages a wide variety of science concepts, Larry said. Beyond the actual growing and harvesting of plants, children learn about pollinators and different insects, the responsibility of caring for their own plants and how to preserve food items after harvesting.
A few cool season vegetables can be sown as seeds directly into your garden soil right now, including potatoes, kale, carrots, peas, radishes, cauliflower and lettuce.
“It’s getting a little late to sow vegetable seeds inside, but you can still sow some flower seeds inside,” Lisa said. “It’s a great activity to do with your kids. You have to read the back of the seed packet, because they’ll advise you how many weeks you need to sow the seeds before placing them outside in the garden. I always pick May 31 as the day to plant the garden.”
Some of the easier items to grow that can go a long way to filling your pantry, fridge and freezer this summer? The couple recommends tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, spinach, herbs, peas, beans and sweet corn (if you have the space for the latter).
“Six to ten tomato plants can supply your family with fresh tomatoes for salads and cooking from mid-July through mid-October. ... We have a good-sized vegetable garden, pretty large for two people, so Lisa also freezes our delicious extra sweet, sweet corn as well as eggplants and peppers, which she cooks with all year long,” Larry said.
To purchase plants in the coming weeks, locals can look to regional greenhouses, some of which have been permitted to remain open during the stay-at-home order. Buying plants from big box stores and online is an option, but the Campbells warn this does come with some risks, as plants from an online vendor often arrive in a stressed state and plants from big box stores are often grown in the South, making them more accustomed to a warmer climate.
Need a little help with your gardening? Have a plant question you can’t find the answer to online? The Penn State Master Gardeners run a hotline April through October, allowing locals to call in with their questions. If the Master Gardener you speak to doesn’t have an answer to your inquiry, they’ll pass along your quandary to one of Penn State’s plant pathologists or other plant scientists.