In addition to recruiting younger family members to dig holes, there are other ways to make gardening tasks easier as we age. I could try to use an auger to dig holes in the ground for my plants. Yet, I admit to being afraid of using power tools and risking the chance of hurting myself.
Another option is to do more gardening in flower pots. I love to watch gardening videos on Youtube. One of my faves is Linda Vater in Oklahoma. She is the queen of the topiary garden. I saw her human sized cut out at Lowes the other day while I was perusing the garden department. She must have a new contract working with them to promote their products. I have begun experimenting with this hobby but it takes months and even years to get the wanted results from cutting and trimming a plant to get the perfect conical or ball shape.
Gardening requires patience and for those of us beginning a new garden at an older age, it is frustrating if we want an instant garden. It is also expensive and backbreaking to purchase fully developed specimens of plants or to hire out a landscaper to create the perfect design at the onset.
I am trying to be patient and let my garden evolve slowly. To save money and my back I have begun to propagate plants myself. I have begun purchasing bulbs at the garden center to start growing them earlier indoors before the next growing season. The only drawback is lack of space for a greenhouse or lack of the right growing conditions to have success. For now, I have set up a potting bench that my husband got me for Christmas inside the garage next to a window. Hopefully my plants will get enough sun and warmth to begin to emerge from their dormant state. It is just a start but will keep you posted on the progress.
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