China: Balcony gardens provide food security and stress relief for locked-down Chinese

Many locked-down Chinese residents are suddenly struggling with an unfamiliar stress: food insecurity

By Yingjie Wang
South China Morning Post
8 Apr, 2022 (Must see. Mike)

Excerpt:

Shi’s daughter, Wenwen, helps her with the gardening out of curiosity and joins her in reading books with tips and advice.

“Before that, my daughter had no idea how vegetables and fruits grow, but now she can write about her vegetable-growing experiences in her school essays,” Shi said.

As Shanghai continues to battle a severe Omicorn-driven Covid-19 outbreak, Shi has been recruited as front-line epidemic prevention personnel and has worked for more than 10 hours per day since March 28.

Despite her hectic schedule, Shi finds time to care for her plants, which she says have been crucial in helping her manage her mental health during the pandemic.

“Watching them grow calms and soothes my mind,” she said. “Even though they are not enough to feed the entire family, they give me a sense of security.”

In Shenzhen, Zhong Liu, who grows her own garden on her 5.9-square-metre balcony, echoes Shi’s joy.

Zhong, a 32-year-old illustrator, said when Shenzhen entered a lockdown on March 14, she did a cursory check to confirm that the vegetables had sold out but did not feel a need to race around the city trying to snap up any food she could find.

“Going to get vegetables was more of a formality to me during the city’s lockdown,” Zhong said. “I was not worried because I knew I had an entire balcony of vegetables to eat!”

Read the complete article here.