Get busy in the garden! With a bit of creative thinking and forward planning, you can still find plenty of enjoyment in gardening Words: GeorGina WinterSGill Make changes Rethinking your gardens layout will make it easier to manage. Consider putting down non-slip paving, installing handrails, and replacing steps with ramps. You could add extra seating, and a table for potting and sowing. If kneelings difficult, build raised beds with wide sides, so you can sit to work. You can also raise containers, pots, your compost bin even your pond. Gillian Verrall is the information officer at thrive, a UK charity that uses gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people with disabilities or in ill health. Consider replacing lawn with hard landscaping, and hedges with fences or walls, she suggests. You could grow vegetables in pots or a raised bed near the house, rather than in a patch at the end of the garden. Beds should be no more than 2ft wide if you can only reach from one side or 4ft if you can reach from both sides so you can work without straining. Expand HIdE Choose lightweight tools, and plant smart This is the ideal time to identify which plants cause you problems and get rid of them! In their place, choose plants that are easy to grow and maintain, and that are less susceptible to pests and diseases, as well as being suitable for the conditions in your garden. the rHs [royal Horticultural society] plant is a fabulous resource, advises Verrall. You can put in all your different preferences as well as what your gardens like and it gives you suggestions. Shrubs are generally low-maintenance. You could also choose some bulbs that will come up year after year, and some groundcover plants to spread over any bare soil, to reduce weeding. spring forward A lot of people dont garden much over the winter. Then theres a tendency to think: Springs coming and theres so much to do!, says Verrall, who advises resisting the urge to do too much. Go for a walk around your garden, see whats coming up, then make a list of 20-minute jobs. Pick one, and achieve it it will make you feel much better. Springs a great time to think creatively about how you can do familiar tasks differently. If youve always sown seeds directly into the ground, think about sowing in trays instead, says Verrall. Angela Jacklin, a specialist rheumatologist occupational therapist at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, says: Watering may be easier with a hose or place water butts around the garden to use with a small, light watering can. tooL Up consider replacing a heavy, petrol lawnmower with a lightweight, electric version. Angela Jacklin says: A border spade has a smaller head, so you wont take on large spadefuls of earth. A garden fork may be easier to use if the soils heavy, while a garden claw helps to break up the earth. long-handled tools are useful, giving greater leverage and reducing the need to bend. a ratchet pruner requires less effort to cut through twigs, as you can do it incrementally, reducing strain. a long-handled ratchet lopper is also useful. cut-and-hold fight fatigue To maximise your energy, use the three Ps prioritising, planning and pacing. n prioritising: A list will help you identify the key jobs and work out which you can do, which you can delegate, and which you can dump! n planning: Think about each job and work out what will make things easier. Gather what you need before you start. n pacing: Set an alarm to remind you to rest, says Jacklin. Alternating light and heavier tasks allows you to change position and give your hands a break. Divide larger tasks into chunks, and tackle them over several days. stay safe Dr Sundeept Bhalara, a consultant rheumatologist at spire Bushey Hospital, says: Cold, damp weather increases jointpain with osteoarthritis. Also, if muscles are cold they are more susceptible to injury. Wrap up well, and warm up your muscles by walking around the garden, then doing some stretching exercises, before starting work. Dont tackle the heavy work immediately build up to itslowly. You should also take care when lifting and carrying. Dr Bhalara says: Bend at the knees when lifting. Dont just use your fingers when carrying; use your whole arm and cradle the load. And think ahead for example, buy two small bags of compost rather than one big bag. Plan ahead, too, to avoid making existing problems worse. Use splints to protect your wrists and thumbs if you have arthritis there, says Dr Bhalara. Use padded gloves to provide cushioning, and a stool to avoid kneeling or standing. secateurs will hold the
