The Benefits of Gardening Extend Beyond Flowers
If you learned to garden from a parent or grandparent, then you may be thinking about creating gardening opportunities for a senior loved one in your life. While it may take some extra initial planning, the benefits of gardening for seniors are extensive. Besides being enjoyable, it carries health advantages, too.
There are a few considerations you’ll want to keep in mind as you prepare to help a senior start gardening again:
- Think about accessibility. Depending on your senior loved one’s mobility, you may want to create a garden in a raised bed, containers or hanging baskets. Tending a garden that’s level with the ground may present some challenges.
- Add other conveniences, too. Purchase self-watering pots so that plants don’t have to be watered every day. If going outside is a challenge, choose indoor plants that can be enjoyed right where they spend time.
- Gather the tools you need, including a wide-brimmed hat for shade and hand trowels and gloves that do not present extra challenges for those with arthritis.
Now that you’re ready with the perfect site and tools, take a look at some of the benefits of gardening in older adulthood:
Meaningful engagement: Gardening can give seniors a way to share their expertise and teach younger people about gardening. It provides a reason to go outside, visit with neighbors and include physical activity in their day.
Flora and fauna: Gardens not only produce beauty themselves, but they invite butterflies and birds to visit, giving seniors the enjoyment of watching their activities.
Healthy eating: A vegetable garden is a perfect way to help seniors get enough fruits and veggies, since they’ll be more likely to eat produce that’s grown right in their own garden.
A new plan: Seniors that garden will need to plan what they’ll plant, where they’ll plant it and when the timing will be right. After that, there are schedules for watering, weeding and fertilizing, which may help seniors’ brains remain sharp and active.
A harvest to share: Sharing the fruits of their labor keeps your senior loved one invested in the community. They can give their produce to neighbors and family members and enjoy seeing others appreciate their gifts.
Expand their living space: If you have a senior aging in place, a garden may help a house-bound individual feel that their world is expanded. A backyard garden with comfortable seating can offer an alternative to indoor settings and provide a pretty place to visit with guests.
The benefits of gardening for seniors are numerous, and it would be challenging to find a reason not to invest time in this activity. One of the greatest benefits is simply the pride and satisfaction your senior loved one will experience with growing flowers or vegetables. Help them show off their efforts with Kincaid Plant Markers, which attractively and clearly mark the varieties in your senior’s garden.
