Gardening For Seniors

Gardening is a wonderful and rewarding tool to use frequently to achieve physical and mental wellness for everyone. Seniors, however, are cautious on the nature and extent of physical activity they will exert on their bodies as they may not be able to do as much as they did when they were younger. 

The beauty of Gardening is that it allows for flexibility in the way it can be conducted which makes it a superior option for the elderly to stay active, shed calories and it is restorative. It’s all about managing the activities and accommodating the capabilities of the seniors to achieve maximum results. Here are some tips on how to make a ‘senior-friendly’ garden:-

• Avoid hanging baskets: Whilst they are attractive, avoid these types of gardens which will require the seniors to struggle to reach them to take care of the plants. 

• Use raised beds: Raised beds at sitting height are a great way to make gardening accessible with minimal bending and straining. The raised beds should be narrow enough to allow the senior gardener to reach the centre of the bed without having to stretch.

• Introduce comfortable outdoor sitting spaces within the garden area where the senior gardener can sit and enjoy a good book as they soak in the beauty of the nature that surrounds them.

• Encourage the senior gardener to grow fast-growing easy to grow foods such as salads, beetroots and cilantro so that they can experience the joys of the growth process from planting to harvesting to eating within a short period. 

• Avoid the use of chemical control. Exposure to chemicals are harmful to the health and we encourage senior gardeners to practise organic gardening to avoid the risks associated with chemical use.

• If possible, use irrigation for watering the plants to manage the watering.

• Introduce indoor plants so that the senior gardener can enjoy the benefits of gardening even when they cannot go outside.

At the end of the day, beneficial gardening for seniors can be as small as a few potted plants or a backyard garden.