I recently read an article about Monty Don, the lead presenter of the BBC gardening television series Gardeners' World. In the last year, his popularity has grown as many folks who did not previously garden are inspired by his show. Each person searches for positivity in their lives in different ways. I gave up doom scrolling on my device for garden preparation.

A few seeds of several plants can be started in disposable coffee cups. Small scale successes can be very rewarding: simple pots on a deck filled with lettuce mixes or patio tomatoes or herbs for pesto are options for folks who have downsized to an apartment.

I suggest starting with three large planters and a bag of garden soil placed in full sun. In a handful of days you will have tangible proof you can garden. If you're still hesitant to try your hand at gardening here is a quote straight out of the Square Foot Gardening book, “One square foot is better than none.”

I was raised by an avid gardener who grew most of our food in that dark fertile soil of the Adirondacks. My mother's half acre garden became her summer retreat from all of us. As soon as the soil was tilled, she would move her chair from the porch to the corner of the garden where she had filled an old bucket with her cascading nasturtiums.

My sister and I never once had to “help” in the garden. My mother would always invite all of us to share in the rewarding job of picking and storing away our Hubbard squash in late November.

There were two gardening books in our house, well-thumbed copies of Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew and Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte. I was pleased to see both of these classic resources are available through the Ramapo Catskill Library System.

If you have junior gardeners in your midst, there is The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids by Whitney Cohen and John Fisher to inspire you. My children always enjoyed planting the peas and beans and helping erect the tripod bean poles out of scrap wood they found in the back of our open shed.

Perhaps you have not heard: “The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.” - Hanna Roin