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It’s spring. Dogwood trees and azaleas are in bloom. Pollen is some days prolific; other days, it’s not.

But this spring is unlike any other spring in recent history. In fact, you’d probably have to go back about a century ago to find a similar one. This spring, everyone — and that’s pretty much every one of the 7.8 billion people on the planet — is being encouraged, if not required, to stay home and do their part in not spreading the COVID-19 virus.

As many have found out in the last two weeks, it’s a challenging prospect to be home all the time. The challenge is in finding ways to fill the hours; the many hours now added to the usual at-home downtime schedule.

But it’s spring. It’s the growing season. That flowerbed you’ve been thinking about building? Now’s the time to do it. That landscaping project you’ve had on hold for a few years? You might be able to find the time now. Did you ever think of creating an outdoor space surrounded by thriving plants in containers and/or beds? This might be your chance. Do you love the taste of homegrown tomatoes, lettuce, beans, squash and more? There’s an opportunity here to take a few less trips to the grocery store. Are you tired of buying herbs to use in your home-cooked meals? Now is a good time to start an herb garden of your own.

As the weeks pass and people are looking for ways to get out of the house, but not too far out, a resurgence in gardening is expected to happen. As the uncertainty of the times weighs on each person, it’s known that gardening — the act of planting, pruning, watering, picking — is meditative, which can soothe the anxiety of the moment.

Here it is, a spring like none other in Beaufort County. Why not grow something beautiful?