Peace.
I read an interesting article from the University of Georgia UGA Today news site, written by Leigh Beeson. COVID-19 pandemic fueled massive growth in green industry discusses the emergence of a new generation of gardeners, primarily among people of working age. Being home during covid gave verdant opportunity to join a new hobby.
I’ve noticed, along with the study the article references, that these days many new gardeners are often of the prepper class of folks. What started in 2020 as hoarding a few packets of seeds and toilet paper moves through concerns of food security and ends up with 2022 homesteader dreams and 50 lb bags of rice set away just in case. Take a look at youtube, and you’ll find hundreds of new homesteaders. Not simply the people who want more garden space -yours truly- but those who are convinced the end times are near and scream bold declarations of disaster on their title pages, in an effort to scare you into their world. Just so you can learn how to make mozzerella from scratch or find out how to build a chicksaw to move your new chickens between pastures.
Perhaps it’s my 1980’s childhood with nuke under-desk drills, or my reading The Stand as an impressionable child, but I feel pretty confident I’d be better off dead than trying to fight my way through an apocalyptic world. I am also a veteran, so there in no romance for me, fighting through war and ruin. I don’t open carry in a coffee shop, protecting my community from random shootings. I have a large garden, one of the few in my neighborhood. As such, I’d likely not survive a hoard of hungry humans descending on my suburban oasis of plenty, armed or not.
Who is to say there would be anything to save anyway. I would find it mentally exhausting to prep for every potential humanity offing calamity. An EMP, a genuinely deadly plague that leaves one of two left living in a family, nuclear war, regular old terrible war on our soil or a climate catastrophe. If my children were gone, would I want to live? If I have no sanctuary or mental health, would I want to live? If I can’t sleep without worry of harm, would I want to live? If I am hurt and left unable to protect, shoot a weapon or to provide, why live as a burden to others?
Questions we all answer individually.
I get the feeling preppers only want to be around people with their mindset. I mean, that makes the most sense. So my absence in the apocalyptic world would be for the best. I’m ok with that. Their survival instinct may be far deeper than mine, an interesting tangent to consider. I know I want my world to be filled with the joyful gardener. So I live for the now.
I garden because it is my mental peace. I garden because it makes me smile and dance stupid when I conquer some challenge that may seem small to others. I garden because sharing seeds, plants and harvest feeds my soul. I garden because I love the variety only I can provide. I garden because I love science and research and trying new things. Gardening satisfies my curious nature. I garden because it is a hobby my grandparents shared with me, and I hope to love on the earth with my grandbabies one day.
Gardening gives me the sun, in every lovely meaning of the phrase.
Without the sun, why be here?
C.Elisabeth
Not a new gardener, but did ramp up somewhat during the quarantines and social distancing seasons. Partly for some little bit of self-sufficiency and also lack of much else to do. But you’re right, the garden is a great place to find peace and accomplishment and feeling like things are still ok and you have some control. Tend the earth…
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