Is this the beginning of a new golden age of gardening?

I hope so!

Whether it was due to boredom from the pandemic lockdown or fear of getting quality fresh food this coming summer, or some other reason, people are once again gardening.

Never in my lifetime did seed companies call “uncle” in the middle of spring and ask people to temporarily stop placing seed orders so they could get caught up on the higher number than normal seed orders already placed.

Never in my lifetime did my local greenhouse run out of most of the vegetable plants, and flowers too, by Memorial Day weekend. I’m still shocked during my early June visits to see empty greenhouses.

Never in my lifetime have I read so many questions from new gardeners posting in groups on Facebook and other social media platforms

Yes, all the signs are there. This is a new golden age of gardening.

And that’s exciting for us old gardeners.

Welcome, new gardeners!  We are happy you’ve arrived!

Please stay!

During this new golden age of gardening, I promise that I will do all I can to answer questions directed to me on social media or posted to one of several gardening groups I belong to. No matter how simple or basic the question is, I will provide an answer.  I will not belittle anyone for not knowing something about gardening and being brave enough to say so.

I also promise not to grumble because the plants or seeds I wanted to buy got swooped up by new gardeners eager to try to grow anything they could get their hands on. I still found plenty for my own garden.

I will also remember that not everyone grew up with a vegetable garden in the backyard so gardening is new to them and they will need help and encouragement.

They need for us experienced gardeners to stick with them and be as helpful as possible even when we are explaining for the one-thousandth time that one need not spray insecticides when one bug has taken one bite out of one leaf in one’s garden.

If we are to sustain this new golden age of gardening, we need all these new gardeners to taste the success of growing their own food because that taste is going to make all the work that leads up to that first bite feel like it was worth it.

We want everyone to know there is room in the garden for everyone as we embrace this new golden age of gardening!

Are you with me? Great! Welcome to the exciting new golden age of gardening!