Gardening is a lifelong pursuit for many of us. No matter what age we were when we discovered the world of gardening, we can carry it with us for the rest of our lives. In our golden years, gardening can be especially important as it’s a relaxing activity for either outside or indoors and it can be as social as we want it to be. Gardening for seniors is truly enjoyable and can contribute to health and quality of life. Towards that end, we’d like to offer some tips, tricks, and suggestions for older adult gardeners. So let’s dig in and learn a bit more about gardening for seniors!
First and foremost, let’s start with a reminder that your garden can be any size or shape you’d like. If you have access to an outdoor space and enjoy working with a larger garden, go for it! If you’re happier and more comfortable with a smaller indoor garden or patio garden of houseplants and container plants, that’s great too. Your garden is yours and you can make it into whatever you’d like it to be so find and explore the gardening style that’s right for you.
As we get older, our physical abilities change. The good news is that gardening can adapt accordingly! If getting up and down off the ground has become a challenge, raised beds and containers can help us garden while remaining more upright. A container garden on a hard surface like a patio can make things a bit easier for those of us using mobility aids like wheelchairs or walkers. With a little creativity and the right tools and setup, our gardens can accommodate our needs.
For those of us gardening outdoors, it’s important to take steps in order to stay safe and comfortable while enjoying time with our plants. This is especially true for senior gardeners, who may be a little more prone to dehydration or similar issues. When we’re out gardening on a warm day, it’s important to use sunscreen, wear loose fitting clothing and a hat for sun protection, and stay hydrated by drinking enough water. We should all also take breaks and rest before we get too exhausted—an especially important tip for older adults.
Gardening can be a fun social activity, and many seniors are looking for opportunities to meet new people, make new friends, and get out of the house a bit. Gardening can be a great chance to do that, and there are many ways to make gardening a social activity for seniors. Many communities have gardening clubs and those can be a great way to meet other gardeners, learn a bit more about gardening, and help others learn as well. There are some online directories that can help you find a garden club near you, though you may want to do a web search for something specific to your location. Locally, many seniors centers, assisted living facilities, and similar organizations have garden clubs or members who are interested in gardening. These are also great opportunities to connect with other gardeners and turn gardening into a social outing.
We’ll close with one final thought: whatever approach to gardening we carry into our golden years, it’s important to remember that gardening is meant to be enjoyable. If a couple of houseplants are the right size garden for you, embrace them and enjoy them. Pushing ourselves to meet some supposedly ideal version of gardening can cause stress and frustration we don’t need. Make sure you’re having fun with your garden, whatever it looks like! And if you think about it send us some photos. We love to see what you’re doing!
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