Loving our gardens, Loving ourselves!

By Lucy Grace, QueenBee allotment manager

2020 has proven itself to be the most unusual (and stressful) year that many of us have experienced. Faced with the fear of COVID, whilst coping with it’s many knock-on effects, we’ve all had to pull out every ounce of strength and patience we have just to get through.

I’m sure we’ll all remember this year for the rest of our days, but it’s one we’ll be happy to see the back of! Needless to say, lockdown has impacted and changed everything: our home lives, professional lives, financial circumstances and parenting methods to name a few things.

It’s no wonder this necessity to adapt has caused such a huge shift in the way we think and feel too. It’s as though being isolated at home has forced us to smell the roses, to realise the importance of what’s been right there all along, and to make the most of what we have, however we can. It seems to have given us the room to connect with ourselves and our instincts more deeply too.

For me, one of the biggest positives to come from this period of uncertainty has been the growing spread of a different kind of bug - the gardening bug! The urge to grow food and flowers has become more commonplace, rather than just being an activity solely for the garden hobbyist. Allotment vacancies have been snapped up quicker than ever, with waiting lists growing a mile long.

Outdoor spaces have seen rapid and lush transformations all over the country and no doubt far beyond, and it’s been a pleasure to witness hundreds of these incredible projects all from the safety of my computer! Many of us have been busy creating truly soul-nurturing spaces inside and outside our homes recently - Spaces that make us feel good, and spaces that are productive, calming and brimming with life and inspiration. For me, Facebook has finally shown itself to be a truly valuable resource in this sense, giving us all a chance to be inspired by others and participate in this burst of creativity.

For many who would never have had the time to turn their houses and gardens into beautiful sanctuaries, lockdown has been the perfect opportunity, and the perfect reason too.

We've had a bountiful Summer on the QueenBee allotment!

It makes me feel that, for many, this has been an intuitive strategy to cope with the rising stress. Whilst mental health has been a linked and rising issue during this pandemic, people have instinctively turned to their own little piece of the great outdoors for relief and tranquility, whilst openly sharing their heartfelt stories alongside their creative garden masterpieces for all to see (on FB groups such as ‘Gardening on a Budget’).

Stories such as NHS workers finding a moment of peace in their garden between long shifts, or at home parents utilising outdoor spaces to make days more bearable and full of adventure for the little ones. Or even singles who have found themselves out of work and deciding to use the opportunity to travel the UK with little more than a car and a back pack - the shift towards nature to ease our souls and nourish our spirits is beautifully palpable.

Though it’s been a tough time to say the least, it’s lovely to sit back and recognise the delicious hidden fruits of the COVID tree - The deep and profound changes that are occurring amongst us, and all the amazing things that we’ve accomplished… even if it is just getting through lockdown! The QueenBee allotment has been super fruitful this year and what a great way to de-stress!

Photos: Lucy Grace.