If you don’t know what I’m talking about, regarding the aching bones, surely you know someone that has mentioned their knees, feet, back, shoulder, hips — well, you get the picture. Sometimes it’s age that gets to us, but not always. There are any number of reasons for body pain or disability, that can strike at any age. If you or someone you know has gardened in the past, or you think could benefit from it now, I would like to talk about ways to do just that.

OSU Master Gardeners garden scooter

"If feet, hip or knee pain are what hold you back, consider investing in a garden scooter, which allows you to sit and scoot along to plant, weed, harvest or mulch."

I started thinking about this when a friend transitioned into assisted living. It’s not that she gardened, per say, but she had a few planters outside her sliding glass door that she planted brightly colored flowers in. You see, her eyesight was deteriorating. While the flowers themselves weren’t clearly visible, the bright colors brought her joy and perhaps the memory of what she used to see so clearly. When she moved into assisted living, the first thing she asked about was if she could have a planter on the shared patio, so that she could continue enjoying the colors of flowers.

Raised Bed.jpg

"Table or wheelchair high raised beds are a blessing for those that would like to garden again or even for the first time." 
U shaped bed.jpg

"Although there are numerous raised bed options available online, I think anyone with a saw, hammer and some wood could accomplish a fairly decent raised bed or even just a high enough shelf to group some pots on."