Lyn - LOL! I got your email directing me here. Thank you!
I like the idea of starting this thread so others can post their tips, too! Gardening in an older body does present some issues that I never had when I was even 5-10 years younger. Getting older is not for the weak or meek! You have to be tough to garden when older! The benefits though are the mental relaxation of gardening, the physical exercise, and getting outdoors in the fresh air and sun (vit. D).
I use a small metal and padded folding kneeler. I also changed the hard scaping of some of my beds. I removed the wood borders around raised beds and replaced them with cinder block, added the concrete caps, and adhered them all together. I paint them every few years and typically change the paint color to mix things up for a new look. Because the cinder block is wide, I can just sit on them when weeding the raised beds. Sometimes in the hot summer months, I have to put a towel down before sitting as the concrete can get pretty hot. I don't want to burn my bottom.
And I also get up and move around as well as get a drink from time to time to help relieve any stiffing from staying in one position too long.
I use a tool I got years ago to loosen up weed clumps. I don't know what it is called, but it's got a few prongs at the end that you stick into the ground and then just twist back and forth a couple of times. It loosens the weeds right up so they are very easy to just pull up with very little effort. I also drag a 25 gallon plastic bin around with me to throw the pruning of shrub branches into. It works well for larger branches vs. small weeds. A 5 gallon bucket works well for small weeds.
I look forward to reading more tips from others!
