Peas and quiet? In times of turbulence, Americans turn to gardening
From Washington, D.C., to Washington state, Americans are — perhaps counterintuitively — interspersing their rigorous hand-washing with digging in the dirt.
As people shelter in place and worry about the cost and availability of groceries, many have found reassurance and relaxation in the timeless ritual of planting, watering and tending gardens — even if there are a few detours along the way.
“We’ve seen a tenfold growth in daily active users over the past couple of months,” said Seth Reed, co-founder of GrowIt, a gardening app.
Reed said the questions people post on the platform are an indication that many of the recent member signups are new — very new — to gardening. “It’s very basic, like, do I put them in a pot or [in the] ground?” he said.
