Guest blog by Sally Writes (www.shieldmysenior.com)
Many of us can probably remember those days outside as young children when we’d get our hands and feet dirty in the soil of our gardens without rhyme or reason. The garden is a place where small pleasure can be found; in growing our very own plants, we can feel like we are contributing to the natural beauty around us and helping the environment blossom.
As we grow older, gardening can seem like more of a daunting task, as it is not so easy to bend down and dig in the dirt as we once could. However, there are a number of helpful tips and safety measures for senior citizens that can make gardening just as fun and easy as any other outdoor activity.
Handy Tools for an Elderly Green-Thumb
One of the difficulties that may seem insurmountable as a senior citizen hoping to garden is the ability to bend down and be on your knees while tending to your plants. However, there are several tools for elderly gardeners that can make gardening seem easy again.
Instead of putting extra strain on your joints and muscles, purchasing a raised garden bed can be a great way to keep all of your gardening chores waist-high. You can also check out gardening benches and rolling benches, which will make it easy to reach all of your low-growing plants.
Other tools, such as a gardening hose or easy-to-grip trowels and scoops, can help ease your hands from any arthritic aches and pains. Using a wheeled cart to store all of your gardening tools is also an essential way to easily move around your garden without straining your muscles or tiring you out.
Selecting the Best Plants for You
While you may want to grow the next prize-winning vegetable garden, equipped with the juiciest peppers and delectable carrots, it may be more reasonable to select plants that will be easy to maintain and that will return each season. Buying perennials, which are the easiest garden plant to grow on your own, will entrust you with a blooming garden without all the havoc of constant upkeep.
For an even more manageable garden, you can also try container gardening. By planting your flowers or other plants into a pot, you can place your garden in your yard, near your front door, or on your back patio. The transferability of the plants means that you can take care of them in any weather condition and on days when you may not be feeling up to trekking to your garden outdoors.
Gardening is beneficial to the mind, body, and spirit, for it allows us to grow our appreciation for nature and find success in our daily activities. Just because you are a senior citizen doesn’t mean that you have to give up gardening–find the ways that work for you, and let your garden grow!
