A Gardeners New Normal~Seedlings and Covid-19

Life as we know it has changed.
Now, I don’t mean to sound alarmist and pessimistic with that statement, but it’s true.
Our ‘normal’ has changed. Only time will tell if it reverts back to what there was before.
But whining about it does no one any good. What we have to do is remain calm and adapt.

How do we adapt if we have no idea how long this new global emergency will take to play out?

Look to the past.

Many people’s ‘normal’ was upended during WW2. They had to learn how to bake with less flour as factories were mandated to make less of their ‘normal’ product and help make MRE’s for the soldiers. People had to learn to mend, patch, darn and make clothing from sources they might not have previously thought of otherwise. Like flour sackcloth. Now, I don’t think the supply of clothing is going to be a big concern, but someone brought another issue to my attention yesterday.


Much of our food is not made in our own countries. Here in Canada, quite a lot of it is imported, including fruit and vegetables. Our food supply chains are going to be impacted as borders close to all but freight, as panic shopping reveals empty meat, bread, pasta and produce sections. This has already happened. How do we adapt?

Learn to make, and enjoy more meatless meals. Learn to make our own bread, buns, rolls and the like. Those who already know how to make their own pasta are one step ahead of the rest of us. Grow our own lettuce and potatoes. But consider this for a moment…

If people are self-isolating by the thousands now, who will start the seeds and man the greenhouses? Who will care for the seedlings until they are big enough to ship out to landscape centers and grocery stores in the spring, where gardeners have been known to cart home flats and flats of the little seedlings?

As the count of confirmed Coronavirus cases rise, as more and more people fall ill (and hopefully eventually recover), as more people self-isolate and work from home or do not go to work at all...how many seedlings do you think will be a priority as spring approaches?

I’ll give you a minute to ponder that…

Yes, even a gardener’s hobby will be touched by Covid-19. There will be fewer seedlings to run our palms over, to study the growing tips and roots, to spend time choosing the very best there is. So how do we adapt to this?

We grow our own.


We sit down and honestly look at why we garden. Perhaps the hobbyist who has always grown roses should consider planting things that can be used in a salad, thereby improving their diet, their immune system and their overall health. This simple change will also result in fewer things needed at the now-overtaxed grocery store.

Now is the time to honestly assess if our occasional treat of sweet corn is worth the big plot of garden that would be better used for a staple like potatoes. Perhaps you’re sick and tired of mowing the lawn and would love more tomatoes in your diet. Learn what you need to do to convert the lawn to a food garden. (Even if your neighbours object now, they won’t when you share some of your bounty of sweet, juicy tomatoes with them at harvest)

So, my advice for you today...your “homework” if you will, is to sit and honestly asses what you want out of a garden. How can you modify your current situation and adapt to an ever-changing food landscape? Feel free to share your thoughts or concerns in the comment section. We’re all in this together!