Gardening benefits - and getting help when you need it

Gardening is beneficial for older people because it:

• is often an enjoyable form of exercise.
• increases levels of physical activity and helps mobility and flexibility.
• encourages use of all motor skills.
• improves endurance and strength.
• helps prevent diseases like osteoporosis.
• reduces stress levels and promotes relaxation.

Older people often list the worry of maintaining lawns and gardens as a major reason for wanting to move house.

This is often an issue of priorities. Priorities are important as they help you determine what adds to your wellbeing and what is less important. Do not undervalue the value of setting priorities - if your garden gives you joy, then make sure others understand this.

If your garden is not especially important to you; you may choose to move. 

If however you want to stay where you are, options include:

• getting help
• perhaps changing your expectations - deciding what things about your 'less than perfect' garden you can live with, and what you can't
• changing your garden to make it easier to manage
• perhaps offering part of your garden to a local community garden project

Getting help or changing the garden

If you are eligible for or already receive a Disability Allowance you may be able to use some of that funding to hire a gardener.

Alternatively, you can make your own arrangements to pay for help with garden and lawns.

Or, a family member or friend might be happy to help with your garden work.

Getting help in the garden doesn't mean that you have to stop gardening. You can always get help with strenuous jobs, such as tree and shrub trimming or mowing the lawns, and continue to do some of the gardening yourself. You can use a gardener as much or as little as you like. As mentioned above, maintaining a garden has important health benefits, including improving coordination and flexibility, increasing exercise, reducing stress, increasing exposure to vitamin D and improving the immune system.

The downside is that gardeners can be costly.  Also, gardening is very weather dependent and a gardener may not be always be available when you need them and the weather is right.