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Gardening in the time of COVID-19

As we practice social distancing to "flatten the curve" of the spread of the coronavirus, Airdronians have taken up all manner of pastimes.
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In May, Airdrie Public Library would normally have a wall of gardening resources. Many of those resources are available online while the library is closed. Photo Submitted/For Airdrie City View

As we practice social distancing to "flatten the curve" of the spread of the coronavirus, Airdronians have taken up all manner of pastimes.

At Airdrie Public Library (APL), we have heard tales of epic virtual scrabble games between neighbours, raucous classic NHL Stanley Cup watch parties and family bake-offs over Zoom where participants regale each other with mouth-watering descriptions of grandma’s pot roast and auntie’s gulab jamun recipes.

More recently, as spring arrives, astute social media users will have noticed an explosion of interest in gardening, with hashtags like #covidgardening and #pandemicgardening trending.

Scour these posts and you’ll find a proliferous exchange of experiences – some exulting new additions to existing gardens, others sharing the joys and disappointments from first-time gardeners. You'll also find post after post of advice from seasoned backyard cultivators whose creased and moisture bereft hands carry the marks of their intimate connection to the soil.

Before the pandemic, May would have seen a lovely selection of gardening books on the pony wall at APL. There, you could have browsed such works as Gardening for Dummies, Square Foot Gardening and, of course, many works by the Hole family, Alberta’s horticultural dynasty.

Alas, what to do with your gardening questions and queries while our building is shut? Thankfully, the virtual library is always open and our digital pony wall is filled with your favourite books on gardening.

Whether you're new to the ups and downs of cultivating a green-thumb, or you’re an old, seasoned gardner, APL has you covered on any topic your garden-hungry heart desires.

You will find a bushel’s worth of ebooks and magazines on our website with e-resources from Overdrive/Libby, RBdigital, Read Alberta eBooks, Hoopla and Flipster.

For more information on all our online resources and services visit airdriepubliclibrary.ca

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