While recently sitting down to catch up on my magazines and reflect on all the activities that our summers usually bring, I found a forward to the June Southern Living Magazine, written by Sid Evans, the Editor-In-Chief. He was writing in mid-April for the June issue and spoke of his planting of favorite vegetables in a raised garden.

In the midst of the quarantine, while working from home, he wrote of how checking on the plants’ daily growth and admiring the sun glistening on the leaves after a rain, gave him hope for the future.

His quarantine project is not unlike that of many in our own community, as we reevaluate what’s of value in our own lives, and take pleasure in the small things, like little shoots of a vegetable plant growing up from a seed. In speaking with Richard Hebert, owner of Hebert’s Garden Center, he reported an absolute increase in customers coming in to buy seeds and plants for their summer gardens.

Many of those customers were first-time gardeners or had helped their fathers plant gardens as a child.

He also saw whole families come into the store, fathers, mothers and children, to shop for what would become a family project.

According to Richard, raised beds were immensely popular, and the comfortable, mild days of early spring enticed many to get out into nature and enjoy its many gifts while following the stay-at-home mandates of Phase 1 COVID-19 quarantine.

Approximately 70 percent of the gardens are planted in the spring, he said, but fall gardens have their advantages, also, as the temperatures are mild, maintaining them is more comfortable, and there are fewer bugs to contend with.

Among the popular plants chosen for the spring gardens were tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants and herbs, but according to Richard, herbs, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and beets are good choices for the fall growing season. Fall tomatoes are also an option and should be planted at the end of this month. If cared for and protected from extremely cold days, they may produce into January.

When asked about any advice for home gardeners, he explained that proper preparation of the soil, done in advance of planting, is a must. He advised that one must not skimp on the prep work of the garden, and as winter days are shorter, with fewer hours of sunlight as in the summer, the location of the garden to afford the most sunlight is very important.

History has shown that people have always gardened in hard times. In their desire for beauty and contact with nature, gardening provides a creative outlet with tangible results. The pandemic gardens being planted in back yards today have been likened to the Victory Gardens of World War II.

While not being so much starved for food, individuals are now starved for something real, as opposed to the virtual screen connections that have taken the place of handshakes and hugs.

Using one’s body and hands to dig in the dirt to plant, water and nourish a seed, along with reaping the rewards of the crop, gives one a sense of control in these uncertain times, and pride in the accomplishment of what is produced.

Research tells us that spending time outdoors is beneficial for the mind and body. A Harvard Medical School study showed that a half-hour of gardening can burn 135 of those quarantine calories while increasing mobility and flexibility. Healthy eating habits are also promoted, especially in children who have been able to take part in the growing process. Along with the physical benefits of gardening, the mental benefits of reduced anxiety and stress, improved mood, and a positive and upbeat outlook are essential in these uncertain times caused by the COVID-19 virus.

As I admire the little yellow flowers on my husband’s cucumber plants, I know that a small cucumber will begin growing, while realizing a hope that our lives and our community will continue to grow and flourish.

The following recipe is a simple one that you may not have to stray too far from your home garden to prepare.

Tomato and Mint Salad

(Serves 6)

5 firm ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut up

½ cup chopped onion

2 pods garlic, pressed

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. Fresh lemon juice

1 heaping Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Peel and cut up tomatoes and place in a bowl. Mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the tomatoes.

Add salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to blend all ingredients and serve.

CATHERINE WATTIGNY embraces the “jour de vivre” as a wife, mother and grandmother, inspired by her prior nursing experience with a new focus on good mental health for all.