Gardening with your Loved One

Three-year-old Lucy can’t wait for the garden to be in full bloom—then she’ll be able to run out and grab cherry tomatoes and sweet peas right off the vine. Her mom is already anticipating the fragrance of lavender and the plant’s purple flowers that attract bumble bees. Lucy’s grandmother, who has always kept a garden full of flowers, is just looking forward to being outside on a warm summer day to help water and weed as her granddaughter giggles and flits around the garden.

There are many benefits to keeping a garden. It is an excellent way to exercise. It can be lightweight or, if your physical abilities permit it, provide a more strenuous cardiovascular workout. Also, weeding and digging are excellent for improving hand strength.

There are also myriad benefits to one’s mental health. Gardening helps us focus on the present task, which is particularly significant during a year when so much of our time, thoughts, and activities have been impacted by COVID-19. In addition to this, we derive a strong sense of satisfaction from watching plants grow and thrive as we tend to them.

Steps to a Successful Garden

1. Plan your Garden

Decide whether you’ll be working on a plot in your yard or if pots and window boxes are a better option for you. Mobility and flexibility may be a factor in this decision as it can be more difficult to get down on the ground to tend to plants. Raised beds and container gardens may be good options to ensure that gardening is a comfortable and pleasurable activity. 

You will also need to select what you want to grow—vegetables, flowers, and/or herbs—and what will flourish in your gardening zone. You may need to do some research or speak to someone at a garden center about the plants that are likely to flourish in your climate.

2. Start Planting

If you want to plant from seed, you’ll need to start sooner than if you buy plants from a nursery or garden center. Beginning from seed will also require more research since different plants need to be started at different times. Peas, cosmos, and sunflowers are options that tend to do well from seed.

Keep in mind that plants will grow and should be spaced accordingly them. If your garden is overcrowded, it will be difficult for plants to thrive.

For safety in the garden, ensure that any pathways are easily accessible for any necessary mobility devices, such as walkers, canes or wheelchairs. If arthritis is an issue, it is possible to add foam grips to gardening tools and “grabbers” can help if it is necessary to stretch to reach any plants. For those experiencing vision problems, it can also be beneficial to make sure all tools have brightly colored handles—this can be accomplished easily with colorful tape. Consider placing stools in the garden so that there are convenient places to rest. 

3. Tending to Your Garden

Consider how much time you will be able to dedicate to caring for your garden. This should be an enjoyable task that does not cause you stress. If you want to enjoy looking at your flowers, herbs, and vegetables, while only spending a few minutes most days watering and weeding, do not plant a garden that is too large or includes work-intensive plants!

You may want to take photographs of your garden throughout the season. It is incredible and satisfying to compare the seedlings you start in the spring to the harvest and growth you’ll observe by the end of summer or early autumn.

As seedlings are beginning to emerge from the soil and transplants settle in, Lucy is already looking forward to grabbing a tomato off the vine to offer to grandma. There is a good chance the little girl will squash it in her hand, but Grandma will happily accept the messy gift dripping seeds and juice.