This garden saved me: Gardening in pandemic and post-pandemic times

When the COVID-19 crisis struck, the world witnessed an extraordinary gardening and outdoor turn. The aim of this study is to examine how the perceptions of home garden and gardening altered in the context of unforeseen conditions of lockdowns, travel restrictions, limited access to other outdoor spaces, and the shift to teleworking, home-schooling, etc. Go-along interviews were used as the main research method. Since the first phase of this survey revealed a great enthusiasm towards gardening and garden upgrading, the survey was repeated after three years to find out how our respondents persisted in their endeavours. Results unanimously show how home gardens’ importance rose as people went through the uncertainties of the pandemic period, enabling them to feel safe from contagion, but also mentally fit. The follow-up survey displayed a waning interest in gardening and frequent return to pre-COVID activities. The post-pandemic results also showed how difficult it is to synchronize different timescales and to match daily practices of garden care with the institutional structures and demands of paid work within the urban environment. Practically, our findings suggest that sustaining more-than-human care beyond moments of disruption requires intentional support — whether through workplace flexibility, urban planning that facilitates everyday access to green space, or community initiatives that embed gardening into routine life.