Our bodies are constantly changing, and it seems that change is the only thing that speeds up with age. That’s also why adaptive gardening isn’t a one-and-done event. It’s more of a work in progress. Buying a pair of knee pads or a kneeling or sitting aid is only a small part of the process. The larger portion involves making important decisions.
Deciding That You’re Aging & Actively Adapting to It
The first decision you have to make is when to acknowledge that you’re getting older and that adapting is necessary if you’re going to continue gardening. Those joint pains are going to change. They may get more intense. Or they may change locations. Topical treatments may work fine for some, but you may need periodic trips to the doctor for more extensive treatment.
Some of us try to fight it, certain that the pain will go away. I know. I was the poster boy for that attitude. I didn’t want to admit that I was getting older. When the light bulb finally came on in my brain, my attitude went from denial to vowing to adapt. Life, and gardening, have been much better since then.
Not all effects of aging manifest themselves with pain as joint problems do. Some creep up on you subtly. When you feel any symptoms, treat them just as you would those with painful effects. Take them seriously and find out their cause and what you can do to relieve them.
Balance can go awry at any time. When you bend down to pull a weed in the garden. When you turn around quickly. Dehydration is one of the most common causes of balance problems. That’s why it’s so important to stay hydrated when gardening. Always keep cool water close and drink it.
Your balance problem may be serious and may require professional care if your rehydration efforts don’t return your balance to normal. It also may be time to consider a mobility aid. I’m speaking from personal experience. As my right knee wore out and arthritis took over, I began using a cane. At one point, my physical therapist recommended a walker since one leg was slightly shorter due to childhood polio, an idea I spurned.
Following post-stroke rehab in 2020, I was sent home with a walker and the goal of chucking it and returning to a cane. However, my balance can be rather wonky, so I’ve resigned myself to continuing to use the walker. It’s so easy to fall, and that’s the last thing you want to do when working in the garden.
Reduced depth perception and eye-hand coordination could be related to balance or eyes and are more common among older people than you’d think, these problems can cause you to fall on steps when gardening and can even cause problems when driving. They can cause you to miss steps or reach for something in the garden and miss, resulting in a fall. When driving, it’s easy to misjudge distances. At the first hint of these problems, you should call your ophthalmologist or other appropriate healthcare provider.
Decreased muscle strength, slower reaction time & chronic pain are three other subtle effects of aging that you may be dealing with. The cause may be reduced activity, inadequate nutrition, or falling. Slow reaction time may be due to physical changes in nerve fibers. A good place to start dealing with these problems is to look at your diet and exercise. Do you eat healthy? Do you get adequate exercise? If not, it’s time to change.
Time Management Is Essential to Adaptive Gardening
Time management is an important part of adapting your gardening to your changing capabilities. Managing your time begins with determining how long you can comfortably work before you need a break, and then working only for that amount of time. When it’s break time, sit, relax, and drink water. Never skip a break. After each rest break, return to a task that’s less strenuous or tedious than the previous work period. This will probably also lead to adapting your garden to accommodate these shorter work periods. Be forewarned that work periods will likely become progressively shorter each year.
Working this way may run counter to your upbringing. Most of us were taught that once you start a job, finish it. Adaptive gardeners are taught to take on different tasks, each progressively less strenuous, after each break. That means that you’ll have several jobs underway for several days. That’s OK, though, because you’ll be more productive.
You may even find that it’ll take you less time than if you’d completed each task before going on to the next. That’s because you’ll be less fatigued all through the process.
If you’re under doctors’ care, check with them before doing strenuous gardening, or even warm-up or cool-down exercises. After examining you, your healthcare provider can give you a safe routine or refer you to a physical therapist with specific instructions. And while you’re at it, ask the doctor for dietary recommendations. Even if you’re not under a doctor’s care, it’s a good idea to join a gym with a trainer who can provide you with a healthy work and exercise routine.
The Decision to Downsize…Or Not
The decision with the most emotion attached may be the decision to downsize. Today, you have many downsizing options. You must decide whether you want to move to a smaller single-family house, a townhouse, or an apartment. An even better idea may be to downsize in place.
Moving to a smaller house or townhouse will likely reduce your gardening space but it will also give you more time to think about creative ways to use that space. I like whimsey in the garden but didn’t have time for it at our old house. That’s not the case now. Unfortunately, most apartments will limit your gardening to houseplants and, possibly, a few containerized plants on a balcony.
If your decision is to move, you may be able to ease the pain somewhat by taking some of your favorite plants with you. The simple way to do this is to pot them up before you put your house on the market. Otherwise, you’ll have to specify in the sales contract which plants you want to take, and the buyer will have to agree to it.
When we downsized in 2001, I took a 4” caliper, 10’ – 15’ ginkgo tree. I wanted it because the tree had sentimental value, I love ginkgoes, ginkgoes were in short supply at that time, and I had a client with a big truck-mounted tree spade who could move it. The buyer didn’t mind as long as the hole was filled in, and I went the extra mile and had the area sodded.
Another option that’s beginning to gain traction is downsizing in place. This involves reducing the size of your garden and moving it closer to the back door, much like the old-fashioned kitchen garden. One big difference between traditional kitchen gardens and modern close-in patio gardens is the increased use of containers and elevated beds today.
You can lessen the work even more by planting in nursery pots and slipping them into decorative containers and elevated beds. You can then easily change out dead or unproductive plants without disturbing the rest. At the end of the season, you’ll have to clean only the lightweight nursery pots instead of the heavier decorative containers. And, you won’t have to dispose of all the potting mix that you would need to plant directly in an elevated bed.
Embrace Imperfection
It’s only natural to want a perfect garden. Or is it? Nature isn’t perfect. Forests in which trees are planted in perfect rows were planted by people. Nature lets seeds germinate where they drop.
Formal gardens like those at Versailles or Longwood are attempts at perfection and require constant care by a team of professional gardeners. Your goal, as an adaptive gardener, is to reduce the amount of work it takes to maintain your garden. Work smarter instead of harder.
Informal gardens are easier to tend than formal gardens. They may also attract more positive attention than a formal garden. When the hill in my backyard was first planted, I spent many hours keeping it weeded and mulched. As the task got more difficult for my aging body, I let it go natural. When I carefully tended it, nobody ever commented on it but since it’s gone natural, I’ve received positive comments.
The best thing is that it’s so easy to embrace imperfection no matter where you live!
I hope this gives you some insight into the decisions facing you as you age, and that I’ve given you some ideas for facing them head on by being an adaptive gardener rather than putting them off. After all, you’re not getting any younger and your garden will need you in a few months.
Written by: Duane Pancoast
Author: The Geriatric Gardener: Adaptive Gardening Advice For Seniors
Read more by Duane at Adaptive Gardening is Cool at Any Age
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2 Comments. Leave new
This was a great article with great advice and insight! Speaks our truth.
I love this article. So helpful. I love gardening