Gardening has been around for thousands of years as a way for people to cultivate food and make a living, but with the ever-looming COVID-19 pandemic, it is also a way to relieve stress and form a positive hobby while stuck at home.  

There are several reasons why gardening is beneficial to everyone involved and is available to people of all ages who have access to dirt, water, sunlight and seeds.  

During quarantine, some people took-up walking or biking.  Others chose to read outside or entirely redo all possible landscaping on their property.  People bought pools, grills and outdoor twinkly lights. But the only hobby that will give fresh organic food is gardening. 

Erin O’Neill, a 2020 Oakland University alum, started off her garden at home after classes were moved online.  She made three 4-foot by 8-foot raised beds with the help of her father. Now, she is getting fresh produce daily — just by walking outside.

“Because of COVID-19, I knew that I wouldn’t get a job right away after I graduated, so I took that time to learn a new skill that I have always wanted to learn,” O’Neill said.

Quarantine gave people time to relax and take on a new project, some projects that may have been put off for a long time.  

Other people started their gardens right at the beginning of quarantine. Dr. Rebecca Jones, a professor at OU, had been waiting until she had a house with space and the time out of her busy schedule to start a garden.

Jones said that the quarantine finally gave her time to start a garden, as well as the time to work on it. It also became a way to connect with her family. 

“It’s my personal project — although my almost 4-year-old loves the digging and watering parts,” Jones said.

Kaitlyn Woods, an OU international student, is currently staying with a family from her church that has a garden in their backyard.  While staying there, Woods is helping with maintenance of the garden and picking crops.  

Woods said she was never interested in gardening until she started helping out with it.  

“I have been able to learn a lot that goes behind the actual maintenance of the plants and knowing when the vegetables are ready to pick,” Woods said. “Also, seeing how much healthier it is since it is fresh is such a great benefit.”

“We try to promote gardening as therapy,” Dr. Fay Hansen, from Oakland University’s Organic Farmshare said. “This is good for people with high stress levels.”

Agri-therapy is a growing practice that Hansen is interested in starting at Oakland University in the future. 

It is a practice that has helped veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to Psychology Today. Interacting with nature often leads people to feel more connected and calm.

“One hundred percent it has helped stress, I never realized how rewarding it could be, it is so fun,” O’Neill said. “I put so much time and good energy into these plants and now I’m getting baskets and baskets of food. Spending time out there with your hands dirty is soul work.”

Working outside is a good way to get Vitamin D, which can help many different areas of your life. According to Healthline, it can help with depression, anxiety and boost energy levels.

Getting out and gardening is not a cure for anything, but a positive hobby that could help during this stressful time.

Starting a garden can be daunting, especially those for who don’t have good equipment to make a large garden, but there are many other ways to get fresh produce.  

There are farmers markets in most cities. This is a way to not only get fresh produce but also support your local community.

Caylin Dawson, an OU alum, loves to support her local farmers market because she is not in a space that can have a garden.  

“If I support my local farmers market, I know where my food and products are coming from, I am supporting my small community and farmers, and also, buying fresh produce from the farmers market often means less plastic.” Dawson said. 

If someone is part of the Oakland University community, then they have another opportunity to get involved in gardening with the Organic Farmshare.  

There are classes, volunteering, and buying from the farmstand on the weekends.  While COVID-19 has put some of these activities on hold, there is still a way to support by being a part of the 8-week program to regularly get organic produce.  

Those interested should keep an eye out next semester, and get updates on opportunities to volunteer by going to their Facebook page.