Gardening in Madison During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting people’s social and physical wellbeing. Gardening is a way people have been adapting to the pandemic, as seen in the increased demand and subsequent shortages of seeds. We administered a survey (n=562) to examine how COVID-19 is affecting the cultivation of edible plants in home and community gardens in Madison, WI, focusing on gardening experiences and practices. Gardeners of all levels of experience indicated that the pandemic has impacted their activities. They disclosed various affective responses and practical solutions to these perturbations. Our results also revealed that people spent more time gardening in 2020. Furthermore, data from community garden managers confirmed that there were nearly no declines in community garden engagement. We conclude that our findings reflect gardeners’ adaptations to the pandemic.