Taking Care of Plants is a Lesson in Empathy

And that’s never been more important than in these uncertain times. 

“Knowing that you put care and love into something other than yourself and to see it flourishing feels amazing,” he says. “You take what you learn from these growing plants and then you apply it to the real world.”

Aside from community gardens and online collectives that have existed long before the pandemic, there’s an entirely new wave of planters emerging as we spend more time at home.

Since lockdown began in March, seed companies around the world have seen some of the biggest increases in history. And as one-third of Americans report clinical signs of anxiety and depression related to the pandemic, gardening for some has served as a way to soothe their nerves.