When gardening outside, here are a few basic rules for physical distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Chat with your neighbours from a distance.
- Sharing bulbs/cuttings or other plants? Create a “sharing zone” where you can put plants. Leave them there for 24 hours before having your neighbour pick them up.
- Wash your hands before and after gardening, and touching shared items like garden hoses, tools, compost bins, etc.
- Have a set of basic tools for each person who gardens to reduce contamination:
- A hand trowel
- gloves
- a pailor bucket and,
- a secateur or loppers.
- Disinfect/clean tools before and after use.
- Clean handles protect us from COVID-19,
- Clean blades protect plants from diseases.
- If you share a green space or yard (like a semi-detached house or townhouse), create zones in the garden.
- Give everyone at least six feet of space between each other, and assign parts of the yard or garden to each person.
- One person/family can mow the lawn while the other remains inside, one person/family can care for trees while another tends flower beds on separate days, etc.
- To help with distancing and encourage enjoying outdoors, you can set up new spaces where people can sit and be safely distanced.
- Stay connected through technology. Many local gardening experts and businesses are holding online training events, garden tours, and much more.
