Gardening Smarter as You Age

“But tho’ an old man, I am but a young gardener” – Thomas Jefferson

Gardening is rewarding but it is also tough work and gets tougher as you age. But with a few simple adjustments, it can remain a lifetime hobby, allowing you to reap the multiple benefits of this popular pursuit including increased physical fitness, zest for living and life satisfaction.

The first step is to be honest with yourself about your personal limitations. These limitations may be physical – you no longer have the same energy levels or are dealing with a chronic ailment. You may be limited by the time you are able or willing to spend in the garden or by budgetary concerns. A reality check is in order! So if you need to garden smarter, take a look at these five tips to help make gardening a pleasure and not burden.

Tip #1: Strive for Simplicity: If you are like most gardeners, you can’t resist adding any new plant “find” to your outside space. There’s always room for one more! But, more plants mean more planting beds and more maintenance, and before you know it your garden has spun out of control! It’s time to rethink your garden to make it simpler and easier to manage. 

Consider downsizing and concentrating on just a few garden beds.  Edit your plant list and keep only those plants that are attractive throughout the growing season and undemanding. Keep plants with beautiful foliage, that don’t have to be divided often, aren’t disease-prone and don’t have to be staked or deadheaded. 

Simplify your garden by cutting down on the size of your lawn and you will cut down on mowing, fertilizing, pest control, edging and weeding!  Mulch these areas instead and add a few easy shrubs and trees.

Tired of digging in our Georgia red clay? Simplify by planting in raised beds or in containers.  Raised beds are actually frames that sit on top of the native soil.  A mixture of soil and organic matter is then added to the frame and voila – gone are the days of digging in the hard, compacted dirt!  For those who have trouble bending or need a wheelchair, raised platforms can be built at standing or sitting heights as well! Container gardening is another popular and simple way to garden as you age. Light-weight containers make moving pots easier and they can be placed in a convenient area for easy access.  

Tip #2: Adapt Equipment to your Needs: There are a plethora of ergonomic garden tools on the market with adaptive grips and easy-to-grasp handles. Ratchet pruners take less pressure to cut woody stems and branches. Garden stools and kneeling pads are helpful for aching backs and knees. You can find a variety of these adaptive tools at gardeningwithease.com and radiusgarden.com. Many gardeners swear by the Grip’N Grab reaching tool to pick up pine cones without bending and the lightweight pop-up garden bag that is easy to fill with clippings.

Consider using a heavy-duty plastic tarp to spread on the ground and rake leaves, clippings and pine cones onto its surface. It can then be easily dragged to a compost or debris pile. One gardener noted, “The best gardening gift I ever received from my husband was a red wagon.  I put all my tools in it or use it to haul bags of mulch, potting soil or fertilizer. I place pots in the wagon and then fill them with plants. It raises the height for no bending. I can then pull the wagon to where I want the pots to be.” 

Tip #3: Pace Yourself:

Late summer is my least favorite season in the garden. In fact, I plan my year to avoid doing anything but the minimum outside to maintain my plants during our 90 degree summer days. As I have aged, I’ve noticed the heat and humidity really take a toll on my energy levels. So, I pace myself and only garden in the early morning or late evening. Just doing as little as 15 minutes of weeding or other gardening chores a day in the summer, can keep your garden looking maintained.  Plan big gardening projects in the late fall or winter when cooler temperatures make you feel more invigorated. 

Tip #4: Get Help! Gardening is easier if you can share the load. Many gardeners hire out the chores they don’t enjoy to an outside gardening service. If finances don’t allow for this, consider hiring a teenager on occasion or start teaching your children or grandchildren to help you in the garden. Children today need to take a break from technology and get in touch with nature, and teaching them to garden may start them on the road to a rewarding lifetime hobby. Get together with friends and schedule work days in each other’s garden. Not only will the tasks be done more quickly but you will enjoy the companionship! Tip #5: Relax and Accept Imperfections: Gardens like life are messy. Unless you are going to be on a garden tour in the near future, a perfect garden should not be your goal.  Instead of going outside and seeing all that needs to be done, take a moment to relax and enjoy what you have accomplished!