Aug 05, 2020

You Reap What You Sow

No one could have imagined that someday the meaning of home-sweet-home would come to this. The entire world – locked in their homes – is trying to stay safe and away from the clutches of the coronavirus. People are seeking ways to pass their time – some are turning to the comforts of their sofa to binge and chill; some are trying to lose themselves in the fantasy world of books; and some are simply immersing themselves in their work. Many people have also turned this adversity on its head to transform themselves. They are adopting healthier lifestyles by practicing yoga, eating right, and just being mindful of all the bounties of nature.

Amongst the list of many activities that people have incorporated in their lifestyles, gardening is one of the things that ranks quite high with everyone. These people are perhaps following the wise words of Audrey Hepburn – “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” It is their way of dealing with all the negativity that has come with the pandemic.

 

 

Conducting a series of polls on the same, we at Opinion Bureau asked 2,370 respondents about their love for gardening. The poll revealed that a solid majority of respondents (61.86%) have a deep-rooted love for gardening while some (22.24%) like plants but don’t have the right know-how to look after them and some people (11.98%) just prefer to lend a helping hand to their family members. Furthermore, on being asked whether people had taken up gardening during the COVID-19 lockdown, 44.95% responded with an affirmative. 32.28% of the respondents were already fans of gardening and have plants from before, 15.53% of the people say they won’t start gardening because they are clueless on this subject, and 7.25% keep researching it without mustering the courage to get their hands dirty.

 

  • So, here’s a tip for those who are scared: There is a plant for everyone. If you worry that you’ll forget watering your plants, then invest in one that can survive without water for the longest time – like the Snake Plant or Cactus. If you fear over-watering your plant, then invest in one that tells you when it needs water! For instance, a Peace Lily’s leaves will droop when it needs water – signalling you to quench its thirst. Some plants do not require this much effort, too; an Air Plant will grow without soil and needs soaking in water only once in two weeks. We bet; it can’t get easier than that!

 

 

To get a better insight into how serious people are about gardening as a hobby, we asked them about the number of plants they have in their homes. 24.55% of the respondents have more than fifteen plants, 26.04% of them have about ten to fifteen plants, and 22.08% of the people have less than five or no plants at all. We then asked 5,997 respondents to rate their top five favourite plants. Amongst the most popular plants was the soothing Aloe Vera (20.23%), followed by the elegant Peace Lily (15.16%), the draught-resilient Cacti (10.37%), the evergreen Snake Plant (8.47%), and the beautiful Succulents (8.09%). Other popular species include Monstera, Philodendron, ZZ Plant, and Dumb Cane.

 

 

Developing our poll further, we got reminded of the famous Chinese Proverb – life begins the day you start a garden – and so we asked our respondents whether gardening as a hobby had helped them in any way to cope with the pandemic. From the responses we received, it seems that nurturing plants doesn’t just add to the aesthetics of one’s home; in turn, it nurtures the soul too. Probably the reason why 43.99% of the respondents find it as a natural therapy. 36.43% of them say that it gives them a routine and a purpose, and only a few find maintaining plants to be a big hassle.

 

 

All in all, gardening as a hobby has proved to be of immense help to thousands of people. It gives them peace, purpose, and a definite positive vibe in times of the pandemic. They have found a way to care for themselves and the planet. And as Robin Williams rightly said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’”. So, what’s a better way to party than to bring the party home and enjoy what you sow.

 

 

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Comments

3 replies on “You Reap What You Sow”

Norberto says:

Exelente

1
1
Carla Carolina says:

Excelente

Jhonnatan says:

Excelente

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