Adaptive gardening was created to help older gardeners continue their favorite activity even as the aches and pains of aging began presenting themselves. As I’ve written more and more posts for this blog, I’ve come to realize that adaptive gardening applies to gardeners of all ages.
The sooner you begin caring for your body when gardening, the greater the chance that you can put off, or even eliminate, the onset of some of the problems we senior gardeners are dealing with. Also, making some adaptive modifications to your garden now, or as you renovate, can save a significant amount of money over waiting until you need these adaptations.
Some ways you can begin protecting your body include…
• Warm up and cool down exercises. Your body care should include warm up (stretching) exercises before you begin your gardening sessions and cool down exercises when finished. If you belong to a gym, the trainers can customize a regimen for you. There are also videos and other posts online that can help you develop your own routine. For gardeners under a doctor’s care, I recommend talking to them first.
• Protect your knees. Knee pain is, arguably, gardeners’ major complaint. To reduce wear and tear, you should at least invest in a pair of strap-on knee pads, which are available at most home and garden centers. You can garden standing up or sitting down if you use raised or elevated beds or containers.
• Lift properly. Protecting your back is important at any age because backs can “go out” even in one’s teen years. Lift with your legs, not your back. If you have to lift something higher than your waist, do it in two motions. For further protection, don’t carry heavy items like bags of fertilizer or mulch. Use a garden cart or coaster wagon.
• Keep the sun at bay. Wear a long sleeve shirt and long pants. Slather sunscreen on all exposed skin and reapply it every couple of hours. Wear a wide brimmed hat that covers the tops of your ears and the back of your neck. A baseball cap only shades your face. Sunglasses are important, too. UV rays can exacerbate cataracts and age related macular degeneration, both of which can begin at a young age and manifest themselves later in life.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water when gardening. Dehydration can cause dizziness, and loss of balance. Falling is something you want to avoid at any age.
• Manage your time. Work for only the amount of time that’s comfortable, beginning the day with the most strenuous task and moving to less strenuous tasks as the day wears on. At the end of each work block, rest by sitting in a comfortable, shady spot. During those rest periods, drink plenty of water.
• Continue your gardening indoors. There’s a reason why houseplants are in such demand. Find out why. Start an indoor garden. My favorites are Tillandsia (air plants).
When renovating your garden, consider these modifications:
• Wider, smoother paths. Someday, you or a guest may need a walker or wheelchair. Planning ahead and widening the width of your garden paths to four feet and making them smooth and flat with materials like flag or blue stone set in concrete now will save you money over waiting until the need arises. Construction costs are only going in one direction – up.
• Replace steps with gentle slopes. Slopes should be no more than five degrees and should have handrails on each side. The rails should begin far enough before and after the slope to provide warning.
• Good lighting. Besides illuminating outdoor activities, you should also light for safety. Low voltage stake lamps are recommended for walkways, patio perimeters and water features, especially ponds.
• Embrace Imperfection. Nature isn’t perfect so why should you be. Regardless of your age, I doubt if you have time or energy to tend a formal garden. To enjoy gardening and still have time for your other interests and demands of life, garden as Mother Nature does – informally and imperfectly.
Adaptive gardening is gardening smarter instead of harder. I recall reading somewhere that gardens should be tended rather than toiled in. That should be a mantra whether it’s your first garden or your last. The time you have to work in your first garden is limited, and the energy you have to work in your last garden is limited.
There’s lots more information for gardeners of all ages in my critically acclaimed book, The Geriatric Gardener: Adaptive Gardening Advice For Seniors. Order your copy at https://thepancoastconcern.com/the_geriatric_gardener
The Geriatric Gardener 