Pandemic gardening: A narrative review, vignettes and implications for future research

Publication Name

Urban Forestry and Urban Greening

Abstract

There is a significant amount of evidence highlighting the health, wellbeing and social benefits of gardening during previous periods of crises. These benefits were also evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper presents a narrative review exploring gardening during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the different forms of gardening that took place during this crisis and key elements of this activity. Research about gardening during the pandemic focused on food (in)security and disrupted food systems, the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening, and the social dimensions of gardening. We offer three vignettes of our own research to highlight key insights from local, national and international perspectives of gardening during the pandemic. The paper's conclusion outlines how researchers, policy makers and public health practitioners can harness what has been learned from gardening during the pandemic to ensure these benefits are more widely available and do not exacerbate already entrenched health inequalities in society.

Open Access Status

This publication may be available as open access

Volume

87

Article Number

128062

Funding Number

68378025

Funding Sponsor

European Commission

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128062