SHORT ANSWER: Yes, you can still use your own garden while self-isolating. You should not have any visitors in your home or garden if you're displaying symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have received a positive test.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on our way of life. In an effort to the slow the spread of the coronavirus, we have all spent this year doing our best to:
- Minimise unnecessary face-to-face contact
- Stay at home, only going out when essential
- Avoid large gatherings
- Practise 'social distancing' by staying at least 6 feet (approximately 2 metres) from others
Most importantly, those who display symptoms of COVID-19 (or receive a positive test result) must self-isolate for 10 days in order to avoid infecting other people.
What does 'self-isolate' mean?
If you are required to self-isolate, you must:
- Stay at home
- Keep away from school / work and all public places, including public transport
- Order food and medicine online or by phone instead of going to the shops
- Not have any visitors (except essential care providers) in your home
- Exercise in your own home or garden instead of going out
For more information, read the NHS guide to self-isolation.
Of course, keeping yourself cooped up for days on end can be a lonely experience and a real drain on your mental health - especially if you're used to going out and socialising every day.
However, just because you're staying at home doesn't necessarily mean you need to stay indoors - if you have a garden, you can still make use of it even when self-isolating. If you are self-isolating right now, this could be the perfect opportunity for you to get more out of your outdoor space.
Here are some ideas...
Give your garden a little TLC
Is there a job that you've been putting off for months? Perhaps you've been meaning to prune that hydrangea bush or repaint the fence, but you haven't gotten around to it yet?
Well, it's springtime now - the weather is getting nicer, the days are getting longer, and thanks to the coronavirus, you may well have an unprecedented amount of free time on your hands at the moment.
So now's the time to work your way down that list of garden jobs that you've been avoiding for goodness knows how long. Not only will your garden look nicer by the time you're done, you'll also have had a lot of fresh air and exercise that you'd have missed out on had you spent the afternoon watching TV.
Try something new
If you've only ever used your back garden for sunbathing and the occasional barbecue, now might be a good time to branch out a bit. Planting flowers is a simple pleasure, and it's always very rewarding when those colourful blossoms begin to appear.
Better yet, why not take this opportunity to start growing your own food? Read our When to Plant Fruit & Veg blog for some top tips!
All work and no play...
But you don't have to use every waking minute of your self-imposed isolation productively. If planting tomatoes and pulling up weeds sounds too much like hard work, why not use your back garden to add a bit of variety to your leisure time?
Playing or exercising in the garden is a great way to break up the day - plus it's important to go outside every so often in order to keep your vitamin D levels up. It's important to stay healthy even when you're stuck at home!
If the grass in your garden has seen better days, our lawn care services may be just the thing to revive your outdoor space and make your time at home a little easier to enjoy. Give us a call on 0800 111 4958 to book your FREE lawn care survey - we have continued to work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and we can work on your lawn while observing the latest safety guidelines.
Contact us to request a FREE lawn survey
Originally published in March 2020. Updated 5th November 2020.
