Tending plants has always been one of the world's most popular hobbies, but no one was prepared for this surge in gardening—and nurseries are still propagating as fast as they can to keep up.

The renown seed company Burpee sold more seed packets this spring than at any time during its 144-year history, according to Reuters. Britain's Royal Horticultural Society has seen a five-fold rise in queries for gardening advice on its website during the lockdown.

Even sales of houseplants are up, as people look for ways to brighten their days in lockdown.

People are taking time to reconnect with the earth, and an added bonus arrives for the climate every time a plant goes into the ground because it pulls out carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

"I believe the bulk of the boom is coming from existing gardeners," said avid plantsman, Tony Avent, founder and proprietor of Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina. "However, at our open houses, we see a tremendous number of younger people, generations X, Y, and Z. They're learning to garden more sustainably."

Gardening in the Summer

Many people also think you cannot plant in the summer, which is simply not true.

"Summer is an incredible time in the garden, adds Avent. "Many plants don't emerge until mid-June or early July, and all the tropical-looking plants are at their peak in the summer months—the cannas, the elephant ears, and lilies—so we see a peak in sales of tropical-looking plants in the summer."