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Vegetable seedlings and citrus plants appear in pots, jars and cans on a ledge inside a home in Westchester County, N.Y. on Feb. 8, 2021. (Julia Rubin, AP)
Deep into this pandemic winter, it can be hard to remember what a refuge gardens were last spring and summer.
In those frightening early days of COVID-19, victory gardens and household vegetable plots sprang up all over. Seed companies reported shortages. Hardware stores saw a run on garden tools. Millions found comfort, release and a sense of safety outdoors with their hands in the dirt.
That feels like a long time ago. We dreaded this winter, and we weren’t wrong: January was the deadliest month yet from the virus. Political violence shook Americans’ sense of security and shared purpose. Businesses and household incomes are struggling. And the human interactions that might help us process all this anxiety and grief are discouraged.