
Become an adaptive gardener…
Gardening is an activity that most of us do because we want to. We do it because it’s pleasurable, healthy, puts fresh produce on the table, beautifies our environment, and the list goes on.
Gardening is an activity that most of us do because we want to. We do it because it’s pleasurable, healthy, puts fresh produce on the table, beautifies our environment, and the list goes on.
Knee and back pain are the most common problems senior gardeners experience. Making the following ideas part of your gardening routine now, regardless of your age can relieve pain, or even prevent it.
If breathing and temperature sensitivity limit your time in the garden, here are some easy adaptations to consider and they won’t cost you a penny:
Many skin problems we senior gardeners are experiencing now got their start in our invincible youth when sunbathing was the thing to do. Today, taking precautions can reduce the number of trips we have to make to the dermatologist and the seriousness of the treatment.
If your current tools are getting too heavy, too difficult to operate, or hard to hold with arthritic fingers, the tool manufacturers have you covered.
As time takes its toll, you may need a mobility aid like a walker. Incorporating these recommendations into your next garden renovation may save you money and time.
Here are some quick tips for making gardening easier for you:
When toiling in a large garden becomes a daunting chore for you, you might consider downsizing – or more accurately, rightsizing. Although the thought of leaving your current home and garden may seem inconceivable, or even downright repugnant, it does have some significant benefits, including…
If you’re having a difficult time thinking small, many books are available, including from the National Garden Bureau, on small space and urban gardens. Don’t get hung up on the term urban garden. These books contain great ideas for small space gardens wherever you live.
There may come a time when you can no longer garden outside. That doesn’t mean you have to give it up. Just take it indoors.
Expand your houseplant collection. May I suggest Tillandsia (Air Plants)? Penn State Extension called them the houseplant of the moment in the nursery industry. They can be displayed in an unlimited number of ways and only need sunlight and water.
This is the point I’m at. At age 83, with a bad knee and the after-effects of a stroke, I now hire out my outdoor garden work and concentrate on my indoor garden. Every other week, I navigate around the house on my walker collecting the 30+ Tillandsia, soak them in the kitchen sink for an hour or two, let them dry for a while and then return them to their homes. They love it and so do I.
“This post is provided as an educational/inspirational service of the National Garden Bureau and our members. Please credit and link to National Garden Bureau and author member when using all or parts of this article.”
3 comments. Leave new
Nice tips to make it easier as we get older! With regard to downsizing, I was forced to just walk away from my garden during Covid because of a knee that needed replacement that could not be done during that time. In that period, the deer “cared” for my garden to the extent that about 2/3rds of it is simply gone. This year my knee has been replaced and I am able to garden again–but actually am relieved that I simply can’t handle all that work anymore. So I will focus on making beautiful what remains to me–it won’t be the same but it will still fulfill the need in me to be outdoors with my hands in the soil and my soul enjoying the open air. And my 10′ x 14′ vegetable garden (in containers at mid-thigh height) is protected by a wire enclosure.
This is a wonderful article. I have been an avid gardener for more years than I will admit to. In my heyday I created thirteen herbaceous flowerbeds surrounded by woodland gardens on this property. I gave little thought to how much work they would be in my later years. I am now older with degenerative disc disorder. I have had to change the way I garden. I have to work in starts and stops. I buy bagged compost instead of turning my compost pile. I could hire help but its the process of gardening I enjoy and not necessarily the results. I’m willing to work with less than perfect provided it is work I have done. As time passes I grow more concerned about what will happen to the property once I leave it. I’d like to think someone who loves to garden will purchase it. I will take a plant or two with me wherever I go.
Love this article; a lot of us “gardeners” are starting to have “body” versus mind issues; ie our body says no but our mind still says yes and this article gives some good suggestions for keeping our body and mind in sync! Also, thank-you for recognizing an amazing group of people who have an abundance of knowledge about gardening; there is nothing like real life experience in growing flowers, shrubs, and food in your area! If you see someone out working in their garden; ask questions; we all love to talk and share information.