There’s new life this year in the ages old practice of gardening in the backyard and you can thank an unusual source, the COVID pandemic.

For people who love to be in the yard at this time of year, there’s no time like springtime.

Just ask gardener Patty Case who just loves it.

“Terribly exciting, you feel all the new things that are out there all the color and how they bloom things coming to life, really great,” said Patty Case, gardener.

One of the key catchphrases this year in the gardening world is something called biodiversity. It means maximizing your yield while minimizing your risk.

That’s done by mixing and matching the plants on your property that works together best.

Experts in the industry also point to another factor that’s stirring gardening fever.

The COVID pandemic, which is fueling excitement about getting out in the yard, and it’s bringing in younger fans that in the past were often older homeowners.

“COVID is really igniting that spirit in terms of our first home, if you know that I really want to grow my own vegetables, maybe some of the shortages, things that happened socially in this society just nudged everybody back to that original old fashioned I want to garden, I want an outdoor living space to look good, I want to have people over. It’s changed the whole mentality in the green industry,” said Josh Skarzenski, Stan’s Garden Center.