If lockdown has taught us one thing, it’s about the value of being able to enjoy our homes and gardens.
While the pandemic has caused huge problems and considerable upset for many people, other sectors have thrived. Vegetable seed suppliers found it hard to meet demand as people stuck at home turned to growing their own food, partly to avoid supermarket crowds but equally importantly to give themselves something to do.
Demand for pets increased; one can only hope they will continue to be loved and cared for once lockdown is over and people have less free time for ‘walkies’ – and it was virtually impossible to buy hens as furloughed workers with a bit of space in their garden decided free range eggs would be a useful addition to the menu.
With Covid-19 less likely to be picked up in the fresh air, and restrictions on meeting friends outdoors less onerous, we all spent much more time in our gardens and on our patios, helped, of course, by the fact that the British summer of 2020 was one of the few things that went right this year.
Sweltering in the office was replaced for many of us this year by relaxing outdoors, while those lucky enough to stay employed were able to work there, thanks to Wi-Fi-connected laptops and the ‘work from home if possible’ instruction.
It all focused attention on the patio, that vital piece of outdoor space that links our homes to our gardens and allows us to enjoy the fresh air and colour that surrounds us – and this year allowed us to meet friends, family and loved ones.
