AS I’ve found out in the past six months or so, there comes a time in your life when you really have to give up some things because it just gets too hard, especially if you have a health problem that doesn’t allow you to to a lot of work around the garden anymore.
On May 5, 2021, my first gardening column dealt with advancing years and how this would affect all of us at some stage.
For many years, if you’ve been a keen gardener, you’ve squatted, stooped, sat down and weeded. Now it seems that all these pursuits are against us and we have to take it a bit easy now that we’re getting on in years.
I’ve noted many times in these columns about how time can get away from you.
I look back to nearly three and a half years ago and can remember writing and thinking about what was to be found by reading The Lazy Gardener.
Back in that article, I mentioned about not giving up, that there were other ways to do the things you love to do.
Battery-operated tools these days can be in everyone’s arsenal. Once there were only a few “toys”, but now everything has batteries, even the larger mowers that can mow acreage.
So a lot of chores can be done easily and simply.
There are long-handled tools to allow the cutting of branches high up in a tree, with even a battery-operated chain saw to help if required, safer than the old days.
And if unable to bend far, extra-length secateurs, for cutting a flower or stem or trimming a bush, or extra long “grabbers” to spread a small amount of mulch or pick an object off the ground.
Hedges can be cut by special light-weight hedge cutters that are easy to use. Pension off that old heavy petrol motor mower in favour of a new lightweight mower for doing those small jobs.
Just do small stints in the garden at a time – there’s no hurry, there are seven days in the week!
Don’t bin your lawn cuttings, put them on your garden, though not too close to plants when fresh, and dig it in with your mulch to add some richness to your soil.
If you grow vegetables, limit what you grow to what you can eat.
There does come a time when some things can just get too much.
That’s when one must take stock of the situation and try a different way.
Till next time.
