6 Gardening Tools That Reduce Joint and Wrist Pain Your Home
6 Essential Tools for Gardening Comfort
Inexpensive implements make tending plants fun
Getty Images Karen Beauchemin calls gardening her therapy. Widowed seven months before the began, she's spent a lot of time in her West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, garden this year, tending to her vegetables and flowers from her perch on “my little bench.” That bench is actually a rolling garden seat that wheels around her raised beds and allows her to comfortably get down, and stay at, plant level. "Everything seems to have grown this year,” says Beauchemin, 72. “I don't know whether it's the weather. … Maybe it was my being out there talking to [the plants] all the time." Gardening should be fun, not back breaking. So, like Beauchemin, invest in the tools that make it an easier and safer activity as you age. Those tools are often simple and inexpensive — or things you can adapt yourself. And while these implements can help every gardener, those who suffer from or bad knees, or struggle to rise from the ground, may find them essential. "If you make it easier on you, you're going to be doing it longer,” says Phyllis Turner, 73, a master gardener with the Bedford County Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension. Turner, a retired nurse, works with a therapeutic gardening program that encourages people of all abilities to garden, and often highlights supportive techniques, such as . Turner and her husband tend a quarter-acre vegetable garden and 25 flower beds. Her favorite leaf rake is one her husband made lighter by cutting 12 inches off the handle. He then wrapped the rake with pipe insulation, making it easier to grasp. "Long-handled tools … can get very heavy and they tend to be much longer than they need to be,” Turner says. Join today and save 25% off the standard annual rate. Get instant access to discounts, programs, services, and the information you need to benefit every area of your life. Reduce Stress and Strain
If you don't want to do it yourself, several gardening tool companies offer ergonomic implements such as long-handled weeders or hand shovels with arced handles to take the pressure off wrists. "It does reduce a lot of stress and strain,” says Christine Kelly-Begazo, 61, an agricultural agent with Indian County Extension near Vero Beach, Florida, who has researched gardening ergonomics, and grows vegetables, flowers and about 30 pineapple plants. As for favorite tools, experiment based on your physical abilities, garden and terrain. Turner, for example, says her ground is too uneven for a wheeled cart. She prefers “to just scoot around on my butt.” That said, here are five tools that she and other gardeners say make the work easier. of 1 Lightweight hose
These come in different styles, including coiled plastic, metal and various fibers, and are much easier to drag around the yard. Some retract, others wind on a hose reel. To make them last, drain after use. Price: $35 and up for 100 feet. of 2 Hori hori
This Japanese all-purpose blade is about 7 inches long, 2 inches wide and concave. Linda Scharf, 64, of Onset, Massachusetts, says she uses hers for digging, weeding, measuring depth and cutting weeds. “The weight is really good and I really have not bought any other tool.” Price: $25 and up. of 3 Adjustable telescopic rake
These lightweight rakes adjust for handle length and the width of the raking tines, so they are wide enough for a yard, or narrow enough for flower beds. Price: $20 and up. of 4 Kneeling bench or knee pads
Turner's husband wears hockey pads. Kelly-Begazo prefers one of the padded seats that flip to become a kneeler with side handles that support you as you stand. Price: $40 and up for a kneeler. of 5 Two-wheeled wheelbarrow
Traditional single-wheeled wheelbarrows can tip when they get heavy, twisting your back, says Turner, who prefers a child's wagon. Look for carts or wheelbarrows with two wheels. Price: $70 and up, depending on size. of 6 Elevated garden beds
Installing a bed raised off the ground will prevent you from having to bend over or kneel on the ground to do your planting, weeding and harvesting. An elevated bed allows you to sit on a stool or a chair to work on your garden. Build the bed to your own desired height, but be sure to consider the root depth of the kind of flowers or vegetables you’ll likely plant, and use cross supports for anything taller than 18 inches. You can buy raised garden planters or make your own. Other strategies for easier gardening br
While gardeners have favorite tools, they also have advice that applies to anything in your gardening arsenal. For example: Bring your garden up to you with a garden bag or wheeled containers. Paint tool handles a bright color so you can see them in the weeds. Break up repetitive jobs like weeding or switch hands to avoid overuse. Wear gloves to protect hands and reduce vibration from power tools. Wash tools after use and keep them sharp. To store them, some experts suggests filling a container with builders sand, which drains well and is often used for mixing concrete. Then, add mineral oil and mix until slightly damp. Brush debris off tools and stick blades or tines into the sand. The sand helps keep the blades sharp; the oil prevents rust. More on Gardening br
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