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| I'm starting to feel a little older now that I'm approaching 60. My joints are hurting more and my energy level is way lower. I'm wondering how much I should realistically WS this winter. Is there anyone else in this same boat and how are you coping? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Yep, I'm 58 and I'm in the same boat. I coped this year by neglecting everything. It's obvious if you look at my garden. Karen |
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| glad2, do you get some form of low impact exercise other than gardening to keep the supportive structures around your joints in good shape...muscles strong, ligaments flexible. We need to be a lot more mindful at our ages of how we bend, lift, and sometimes space out heavier chores to not do all in one or two days than we may have once done but 60 isn't too old for active gardening. On either side of my BILs summer home there are two year round resident gardening widows in their late 80s in full health and going strong...he tells me he plans to take up gardening, it appears to increase life expectancy :) I battle the low energy level doing indoor projects any more and I think it has much to do with where my interests are these days. |
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| I have nerve damage in one leg and nothing is going to change that. I have problems doing things like digging, requiring standing on one leg. So I fall A LOT. Doesn't bother me, I get up and try again. No big deal, except I look like a drunk. I can handle this, and aches and pains. Advil fixes a lot. It's more that I don't WANT to work in the garden for hours every day. I already have enough jobs, from a part time real job to maintaining a house, doing laundry, cooking dinner, and caring for an elderly Mom. Sometimes I just want to sit down a read a book. So I need an easier to maintain garden. Life is short. Karen |
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- Posted by just1morehosta 5 (My Page) on Tue, Sep 28, 10 at 13:07
| I will be 63 in November,sure, there are new aches and pains almost every day, I had spine surgery a few months ago,did garden work in a neck brace,you just have to learn to pace yourself.I used to be able to spend 10 hours in the garden,not any more, I am lucky to push 8,I come in, take a shower, and my jammies are on by 8pm.ha ha I will never stop gardening, matter of fact, I plan to leave this great earth with a shovel in one had,and a plant in the other. We should never give up, why would you want to, what would you do with your time? Mary, where are you?Comment please.Mary is my hero! |
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| I turned 61 this year. In 2004 I started going to Curves and then did their diet program. I lost 50 lbs and put a bit more than half back on since then. I'm still overweight. Before I started exercising I also started taking fish oil capsules for dry skin but eventually I had a physical and due to high cholesterol, the doctor advised taking fish oil as well as vitamin B complex and vitamin D and prescription medicine. My knees used to creak and were so stiff. I don't enjoy exercising but it's something I have to do. I started taking fish oil capsules before I started exercising and my knees felt better. Now that I do both, I feel so much more limber and have more energy. Still I'm trying to be realistic about gardening and only doing what I think I will feel comfortable taking care of over the next 10 years or so. I still work full time, too. I try to do a very good job with the size and number of garden beds and not get more started. One of the problems I have is the amount of weeds and witch grass that want to creep into the beds. Last year I put down black plastic in March or early April to warm the beds and discovered it did a good job killing the weeds. I just raked them off. Edging the beds takes a lot of work. I visited a garden where they had a strip of bark mulch edging the beds. The owner told me they had dug down at least six inches to make the bark mulch barrier and it was something that didn't interfere with mowing. I will probably try that with my beds. Of course, I don't have everything looking great because I turned a blind eye to a temporary holding bed where I transferred perennials when we moved in 2007. There are still some plants that need permanent homes but a lot of the bed is weedy with goldenrod etc. The birds love it however so I enjoy watching the goldfinches etc going after the seed heads. There is no way I can go thru winter without exercising about 3 times a week. The half hour exercise doesn't take long when I go. |
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- Posted by irisheyes66 6a, KS (My Page) on Tue, Sep 28, 10 at 13:35
| ((((Karen)))) Although I am only 43, this past year has been a rough one filled with health issues and such...this summer I definitely noticed my body telling me to take it easier. No more dawn-til-dusk marathons, no more pushing myself beyond what is safe. As cAROL said, I am learning to "pace" myself. My job allows me a lot of flexibility and time off during the day; I just need to learn how to manage it more wisely so that I am not always struggling to "catch up", since that's when I usually end up wearing myself out too quickly. My knees have always been troublesome, due to being 50 lbs. overweight (ugggh) and a lifetime of steroid use for severe asthma--I have to make a concerted effort to get up and move about every 15 minutes or so--and good quality knee pads help. Also, I am using a LOT more sunscreen this year! Still, I can't imagine not getting my hands in the dirt...gardening (WS and otherwise) brings me peace and serenity...it feeds my soul. I hope to leave this rodeo just like cAROL, with a shovel in one hand and a plant in the other...possibly with a counted cross-stitch project tucked in my back pocket *smile* |
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| At 62 years old I am fortunate to be able to spend as much or as little time in my gardens as I choose. This year I cut way back on the hundreds of ws containers that I did in the past, still a couple of hundreds were sowen, both due to having lots of plants in holding beds that need a permanent home and finding myself tiring more readily. I find that if I spend a full day gardening I often do only deadheading the next day or nothing at all in the garden. I also adopted a more relaxed attitude, if seedlings get planted today or not, no big deal, do it another day, or even next spring (a few containers with seedlings will get buried in the ground for the winter). Weeds: After years of mulching with shredded leaves there are very few weeds in my beds. This year I didn't get the mulch replaced and have only had a few weeds which I pull as soon as I see them. Sometimes that means weeds in my pocket, LOL. I am one of those "pack them in" gardeners so there is little room for weeds to grow amongst my beauties. Edging: I do the trench method and need to re-edge this fall. During the summer I pull any grass growing into the edged area. Edging is something that I am still experimenting with to find which method I prefer. I am considering brick edging but that will be a long project for me as I am a slow worker. This fall I am edging the clematis bed along the fence with railroad ties. That takes a while to dig up the sod and get the rr tie level with the grass to make mowing easier. Even with creaking bones and bad knees I am still adding beds. Time will tell if that is foolish. The cottage garden forum has a posting about using more bushes, etc to help make beds less work.
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Here is a link that might be useful: The 'New' Low-Maintenance Garden
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- Posted by just1morehosta 5 (My Page) on Tue, Sep 28, 10 at 17:02
| Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, yes, edging. I have been thinking of the steel edgeing,it looks need and tidy,and fairly easy to instal.And would not have to be redone every few years,Pricy??Maybe. Right now, I do the trench method. There is a house far from me, who's whole yard is nothing but shrubs,and it is beautiful,many times, I have thought, hummmmmmmmm,that is what I should do, maybe in a few more years,well see. I do love shrubs. I keep adding more beds, my daughter thinks I am a bit wack-o,ha ha cAROL |
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| cAROL, I am considering using the steel edging next to the fence for the clematis bed. I pull the grass that creeps from the neighbor's lawn but would like a more effective method and don't care for the plastic edging. Haven't priced it yet though. I think a yard full of shrubs must be thought out carefully for placement. I pass a yard full of shrubs that looks awful, IMHO. |
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- Posted by tiffy_z5_6_can 5/6 (My Page) on Tue, Sep 28, 10 at 19:09
| Just turned 52 and for the last couple of years I've already begun to think of making gardening less work for future years. What made me start thinking of this was seeing my mother's gardens get overrun with weeds as she struggled to keep up. Laying down cardboard and mulching is becoming common practice for me as well as placing paths with 4 good inches of wood chips where I can access the gardens easily. Next year I will be selling a lot of winter sown Astilbes but spreading my favorites around to create drifts. I will be doing the same with Echinaceas and other plants. One problem area in regards to access will be filled in with Rudbeckia Fulgida Goldstrum, also winter sown. I will winter sow more annuals to use as fillers - something I don't do enough of. I will also winter sow less perennials since I have to make decisions on what I will be keeping for future years and what I will be selling. A bit like cleaning out the closet and making sure I can reach things I use more often and placing items I don't use as frequently in the back or on the top shelf, and those which I don't use will be gone. :O) |
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| We started from scratch in the garden five years ago (new construction), so it has been a lot of work. I have almost all of the beds in, but definitely not complete. I have decided as I complete everything to add more shrubs and stick with flowers that aren't high maintenance. I'm 58 and although I am in better shape than I was two years ago, I have so many things I want to do in life, that I want a gorgeous garden that doesn't require constant attention. Just deadheading, thinning, weeding, watering and the vegetable garden are enough. (After I WS this year, that is and add the monarch waystation garden and possibly the rain garden out front and....somebody stop the madness!!!) |
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| I'm 49 this year, but my knees have been bad since I was a teenager. Just can not kneel for more than a few minutes - feels like ice picks going through. I garden sitting atop a wheeled cart and scoot along. Good long handled tools are a god send. Sharp, high qualtiy tools let me garden with less strenuous movements. Making sure I have a large bucket to put weeds in right next to me before I start makes for less up and down to dump out. Ditto for having the plants I want to put in very near my cart so I don't have to keep going back across the yard to the WS holding area. I always wear an apron with many pockets to hold things I might need (ties, labels, baggies for seeds, etc)so I don't have to keep getting up to get them. The point I want to make is that PLANNING your work environment for gardening helps a whole lot with physical wear and tear. Some of these environmental additions cost a few bucks, but I'm worth it!!! They keep me gardening comfortably, gardening is good for my mental and physical health and THATS good for everyone in my life, kids, hubby, employer, etc. Nancy |
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- Posted by just1morehosta 5 (My Page) on Wed, Sep 29, 10 at 11:11
| This is a good topic,very interesting to see how we all adjust as we get a little older,I think we can learn from each other. I hope we get more to chim in. cAROL |
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- Posted by glad2garden 5, Chicopee, Mass (My Page) on Thu, Sep 30, 10 at 8:25
| Nancy, your post about planning has inspired me to do the same. So many times I find myself getting frustrated and tired because I have to get up and find the clippers, trowel, etc, and then discouragement sets in. But thinking ahead would avoid that. I'm also learning that pacing myself is very valuable. I'll work for a few minutes, then sit down and think a little. I've always worked like a house-a-fire, but now I think I'm enjoying gardening a little more. Maybe getting older does have it's advantages! |
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- Posted by hostasformez4 4/5 (My Page) on Fri, Oct 1, 10 at 13:09
| You are all 'babies' except for cAROL, I know her. lol I will be 69 the end of this month and my hubby convinced me, and of course my body talked to me too, that having plant sales every year or every couple of years was over for me. 'Arthur Ritus' has got me in his clutches! Just hands and ankles so far. I even gave all the pots I had been collecting, hidden under the deck out of hubby's sight, away by putting a sign out saying free!!! I had 8 huge industral size bags filled with posts and got rid of all but 2 bags full which I recycled. Time catches up with you! Yes it does! I think about what to do with all the extra plants I will have when I go to thin the beds in the spring. It hurts me to throw away something that someone else can enjoy the beauty of. Well those are my plans. Hope I can stick to them. Connie |
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- Posted by just1morehosta 5 (My Page) on Fri, Oct 1, 10 at 14:17
| Hello good buddy Connie. At 69, you are still going strong.I hope I am in as good shape as you, when I turn 69. :0) With all my garden beds, and over 2,000, potted hosta, and doing Klehims every year,I am running out of steam,ha ha I HATE WINTER, but****** am starting to think, that just maybe, I need the time to re-coop, other wise, I think I may work myseld into a frennzy. Are you planning a garden walk for next year? I wanna see what all you have done. cAROL |
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| LOL @ "Arthur Ritus"! Connie - you don't have to throw plants away or even stop selling plants. You can post on Freecycle or Craigslist free, and people will clamor to come and dig the plants up and take them away for free. They will even pay you $$ for them - last year I sold $250 worth of daylilies and Irises that had to be removed from a front border along the street where the town was putting in a side walk. The thing was, I had terrible tendonitis last season and could not dig with the big shovel for 5 months. These people came and PAID ME to dig out the plants and take them away. What a deal!! For both of us though - they got large mature clumps of plants real cheap. I am 50 and because of a couple injuries in my wrists in recent years, I have to think a lot more ergonomically about gardening, computer work, working on the house, etc. Yoga and stretching exercises are essential. I suppose this is just preparing me for the long downhill slide..... :-/ |
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| 55, and pretty nasty hand arthritis - besides trying to keep it at bay with diet and exercise, I find denial works pretty well - most of the time, anyway. :) |
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- Posted by bloombuddie z6 OK (My Page) on Sat, Oct 2, 10 at 13:58
| Hope you don't mind a "lurker" chiming in here. It is such a good topic and often on my 62 year old mind. One of the best discussions on this topic I found on the Winter Garden Forum started by "Luseal" in 2002. I see someone has brought it to the first page of that forum again. Ann |
Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Garden Forum
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| Turned 61 this year, and I'm just getting lazy! Still love growing stuff, just wish there was someone else to take care of it all. Most days. Right now, there is a godawful mess out on the terrace from the storms here the last couple of days. Pots overturned, mulch and dirt spilled out everywhere. Did manage to get everything upright; that alone left me breathing hard. Now I'm waiting for the water to dry off, then I can sweep up most of the mess. At the rate I'm going, maybe I'll have it done by next spring. LOL (kinda)! And I've been yearning for a "real" garden in real ground. Hopefully, with more space to move around, I can find ways to make it a little easier. PV |
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- Posted by albert_135 Sunset 2 or 3 (My Page) on Sun, Oct 3, 10 at 13:07
| I addition to the problems with joints, muscles, energy, other interests and serious disabilities there may be the problem of fixed income and costs. I moved [Rather the spouse moved us.] to a place that had been xeriscaped and I quit growing vegetables in part because of the cost of water. |
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| First off, hugs to everyone on this forum--the aging and sore as well as the still-young-and-strong. I'm 45 and extremely lucky to still be in excellent health. As I read these comments I had a nice thought. For those who can afford it, how about hire a teenager occasionally to do the simple, heavy stuff--like edging or raking or splitting large perennials? In addition to getting their amazing energy for a few hours, you'll potentially be introducing them to gardening--especially if you wander around with them as they work and describe/explain what you're having them do for you. You could even send them home with some plants or a cut vase of flowers for their mom or Grandma. I work in geriatrics and have kids who are nearly teenagers. I think we need to rebuild the lost bridges that used to exist between our generations. Anyone else? Martha |
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- Posted by wendy2shoes z6 S ON (My Page) on Tue, Oct 19, 10 at 11:11
| I've already "retired" an island bed. Took out the perennials, and planted false spirea and a hydrangea. I may add a few annuals to the edge. My twins had babies in the last two years. One has a two year old girl, and now twins (again!), a boy and a girl. The other has a 7 month old, and is planning on one more. So, my yard is now decked with a Mr. Turtle sandbox, a climber and slide, and a playhouse (all picked up off the side of the road..yahoo!). I'm helping all I can with the kids, so the flowers will have to take a back seat for now. Two hours with a two year old is like having the life-energy sucked out of you. How did I ever do it, so long ago? Oh yeah..I was 26! |
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- Posted by ghoghunter Zone6b SE PA (My Page) on Tue, Oct 19, 10 at 11:19
| Docmom-I've tried to hire a teenager to help but they don't want the work. I guess physical labor is not to their liking. I am also getting older and sorer by the minute and the physical part of gardening is less and less attractive to me. The professionals cost and arm and a leg. even with a poor economy most folks don't want anything to do with physical labor! Joann |
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- Posted by just1morehosta 5 (My Page) on Tue, Oct 19, 10 at 14:12
| I agree,teenagers today, do not want to work, not around here anyway. Last week I hadmy grandson over to give a hand.It was like babysitting!When you have to stay by their side,and explain every little thing,you get nothing done.Like, ok, when we pull weeds, we put them on this tarp, then, when it is full, we drag it to the compost pile,yes, we then bring it back, and fill it once again,yes, back to the compost pile,no, were not quite done, there are stray weeds left on the grass, we now rake them up,not done yet, we can't just leave all the yard tools out on the lawn. Just a sampling of how it goes. He is 20. I can do with out this kind of "Help" :0) cAROL |
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| It's like that with any inexperienced help, including my husband. Most times it's easier to do it myself. It's fall clean-up time. No one I could afford to hire knows which plants are perennials and just get cut back, and which are annuals that get yanked and composted. Nobody wants to chop up garbage for the compost, either. They want to stuff it in a plastic lawn bag and send to the land fill. That's why I don't have much help. I need an easier to maintain garden, period. Karen |
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- Posted by retiredprof 7 (My Page) on Tue, Oct 19, 10 at 16:05
| Wanted to chime in here. I just bought a new house (much smaller), but the yard is about the same size as previous. But... you can bet my plans for this place are much simpler, smaller and for less maintenance. At 58, I just found my gardening in the old place was getting to be a chore--all the beds and maintenance much tougher and more time-consuming than they were 10 years ago. As some of you said, it was difficult to find help--forget the teenagers! So, with an eye to the future, I'm really trying to keep my new garden plans easy. Then again, ask me three years from now ;-) |
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- Posted by just1morehosta 5 (My Page) on Tue, Oct 19, 10 at 16:47
| Hey Professor, Where ya been????? We were asking about you a few months ago. So nice to hear for you again. Are you here to stay?We hope so. cAROL |
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- Posted by retiredprof 7 (My Page) on Tue, Oct 19, 10 at 18:06
| Yes, cAROL, I'm back. Thank you. Posted a message in conversations, but just couldn't pass up a chance to reply to this! |
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- Posted by anna_in_quebec z4 QC (My Page) on Wed, Oct 20, 10 at 11:41
| I am 52 and have only heard my botanical clock ticking since 1996 or so. Ever since, I have winter-sown many many plants, but also have started a dahlia bed, which as you know requires a lot of work, especially digging them up in the fall. Every year it seems to be getting harder, and maybe one day I will give up on the dahlias, but every August-October, I marvel at these beauties that keep me going long after others have expired. And, to keep my spirits up during the winter and to have flowers as well, I have developed an addiction to Amaryllis. I have now over 100 bulbs, which need to be hauled outside for summer, then hauled to basement in the fall to be prepped for the new round of blooms. I am beginning to wonder if I am out of control as I acquire more and more bulbs each year (!). I am sadly out of shape, but, by the end of each summer, I don't seem so bad. Certainly the slothful winter does me in every year, and each spring I feel more and more stiff as a result. I know I should stay active during the winter, but as the colds winds howl here in Quebec, all I want to do is cocoon with my cats and a hot-toddy, and of course my amaryllis. Bottom line, I feel I have so much lost time to recover, gardening-wise, being a relative late-starter, and I still have trouble knowing the difference between not enough and too much :) So many plants, so little time! |
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- Posted by lynnencfan 7b/8aNC (My Page) on Sun, Oct 24, 10 at 13:50
| What an interesting thread and a topic that we all are or will face at some point in time. I am 66 and even tho I find myself the happiest and most content 'in the garden' I know my body is rebelling. Just spent 2 years as a caregiver for my Mom who was on hospice and gardened in bits and pieces as time permitted depending on her condition and always with a baby monitor close by to hear her if she needed help. She passed away very peacefully this past February and I was all gung ho to devote 'all my time' to gardening.......REALITY CHECK......over 90 days of 90+ temps told me that AC was very nice - I can't take the heat like I use to be able to. As a result hubby and I are switching over to more shrubs and a low maintenance garden. I will still wintersow but will show some restraint and work towards drought tolerant low maintenance type plants. I need to garden - it is in my blood - I will just adjust to the aging process - it is all a part of life :) ...... Lynne |
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| Interesting topic. I'm 63, and don't have the energy I wish I did - but I'm not convinced it's age - In my case could be the Lyme I had once, or my adrenal fatigue. My friend gardened into her 90's, she died at 95 and until a year befor her death she continued to be active and mentally sharp. I'm convinced it was the gardening that kept her so. I find I'm doing less in the garden, and am doing more elsewhere. I still enjoy it. I can't kneel for long like I used to. ellen |
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- Posted by anna_in_quebec z4 QC (My Page) on Mon, Nov 1, 10 at 16:09
| Artist Claude Monet said: "More than anything, I must have flowers, always, always." |
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| I just had my 70th, and I still love gardening. I'm not going to plant much of a vegetable garden next year, but I still intend to have the flowers and wintersow too much probably. I find I have to give enormous amounts of plants away every spring, but there is a lot of joy in that, too! Just trying to make my corner of the world more beautiful, I guess. I have one knee replaced, and need the other replaced but I have to wait another two years until I'm off the Tamoxifen I'm taking for the cancer. I have to sit on the ground to do everything, but if I didn't have my flowers, I'm not sure I would ever make it out of bed in the mornings. |
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| Barbe - you are an inspiration! And..a little bit off topic, but- Anyway...once he started my father no longer needed to take Tylenol, and after a yr or so, he stopped taking the SAM-e and so far still has no pain! Altho this may be off-topic and may anger some, I feel like I want to let people know about this option with no side effects. It may help some people. regards, |
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| I just retired at age 67 this past summer and discovered that, with my work schedule, I had neglected my yard and garden quite a bit. However, I did manage to get a few tomatoes and cukes planted and enjoyed them immensely. I am going to plant more veggies next year, so I thinned out the many flowers I have and will donate them to our garden club's spring plant sale. Most of the remaining plants will be low maintenance perennials and shrubs. I will only fill in with a few annuals, but nothing like the quantity I used to plant. I have always gardened organically and spent considerable time this fall covering every square inch of my gardens with as many shredded leaves that I could get my hands on. I always keep my soil covered with as much mulch as I can and this helps considerably to cut down on weeds and watering. I did find out how badly out of shape I was and have had to learn to pace myself. As much as I love gardening, I just don't have the stamina I used to have, so this is why I rely so heavily on mulches to cut down on maintenance. One item I positively could not do without is my pair of roofers' knee pads that I purchased several years ago at Home Depot. They were worth every penny, for I can no longer kneel on my bare knees anymore. Just hurts too much. This has been a great thread for it's comforting to know that us happy achers have plenty of company out there. |
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| I spent hours yesterday doing fall clean-up in the yard. Probably 5 hours, but a few years ago I would have accomplished the same work in two hours. And I was freezing. It was cloudy with temps stuck in the low 40s. Geez, I'm achey. Advil will be my best friend today. And still quite a bit of work to do. Must cut back. Karen |
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- Posted by just1morehosta 5 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 10 at 12:03
| Besides cleaning house these last few days, trying to get in shape for the holidays,and keeping up with yard work, I am besides my self.I wish I could just let the house work go, I would much rather be outside,I need two of me, where years ago, just me,would have been enough. Trying to decide which is more important,housework, or the garden?ha ha, yea, I know the RIGHT,answer. cAROL |
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- Posted by oscarthecat z7MD (My Page) on Tue, Nov 16, 10 at 7:51
| 81 this fall. Still growing dahlias, gladiolus and brugmansias. Kneeling to work is easy. Getting up is an entirely different matter. Hang in there. Steve S. |
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- Posted by just1morehosta 5 (My Page) on Tue, Nov 16, 10 at 10:23
| 81 Oscar? Wonderful! I hope to be in your shape at 81,thanks for posting. cAROL |
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- Posted by wendy2shoes z6 S ON (My Page) on Wed, Nov 17, 10 at 23:07
| Has anyone noticed that the "L" and "XL" sizes of T shirts and sweat pants (my uniform) are on the shelf that is ON THE FLOOR! So, the teeny tiny zeros and smalls can cruise at eye level, but those of us that take "comfort" sizes end up on our knees, and can't get up! Hmmmm... |
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| I was glued to this thread ... read every single one ... I laughed ... and I cried ... thank you |
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- Posted by carmen_grower_2007 (My Page) on Tue, Dec 28, 10 at 10:14
| I'm now 69 yrs. and in good health but am starting to feel my age. Two years ago, I realized I had 'biggered' my gardens to the extent that they were no longer enjoyable. The weeding took its toll and I started letting things go. Last year when the weeds were completely taking over one of the huge beds (where I hybridized my daylilies), I decided I definitely had to drastically downsize. I went out there and removed 125 pvc markers and took the brush mower over the whole mess. We started mowing it regularly and I expect eventually the daylilies will give up. (but - I wonder.) Yes, I tried over the last 5 years to offer named daylilies to anyone wanting to come to the farm and dig them but ended up with a real mess of holes all over. I did, however move a good number of my favorites to a small garden area near the house. This spring, I will do the same with another huge bed once I transplant the perennials I want to save. The only big bed I will leave alone is the hosta bed which I love. I wish all plants self-mulched like hostas. There is no room for weeds to grow and it is gorgeous. I need to save the peonies for sure. |
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- Posted by margarita10 (My Page) on Wed, Dec 29, 10 at 11:24
| Hi, Just turned 58 last week and have all the aches and pains. I garden in raised beds(24") made out of wood so I don't have to bend as much. I can sit on my little rolling cart that holds tools,seeds, etc. and work on each box as energy allows. Some of my rectangular boxes are on 36" legs and I don't have to bend at all. This was my solution to getting a little older and knowing I could not give up gardening. The square foot gardening method works great in my boxes and I don't have to plant tons of things. Margarita10 |
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| Retired, 70 and just moved to Cape Cod 18 months ago. We came from 3 well planted acres to a one acre lot with nothing but standard builder foundation plantings and a sorry excuse for a lawn. Last spring we planted shrubs - had someone tear out the existing ones, replant elsewhere , plant "curb appeal" foundation and lot line plantings, sliced, loamed and seeded the lawn . I pace myself - do what I can today or tomorrow. When I stop having fun, I hire someone to complete the job! This year plantings will be ornamental grasses, new raised perennial and annual beds for easy access, quick color and cutting. Life at 70 can be slow but at this age we really don't have anywhere to rush to! The good news is that in the gardens I breath new life and energy! Housework???? My eyes are as age consistent as my bones, joints and muscles. I pick up daily, dust and do laundry weekly and think about being in the garden! Dorothy M |
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| hi gardeners, I will be 62 in february.I have really had to cut back alot the last 2 yrs due to health.Last summer I had as many weeds as flowers and that broke my heart to see my beautiful beds get runover.But I survived that and pulled what I could.I let 2 rose beds go and will replace them this year with hydrangeas.I am going to ws more hardy perennials and try to plant real close,hoping to cut down on the weeds.I dug up about 30 feet of my cottage garden and planted it in a fall garden.I want to increase my veges and herbs and decrease my flowers.As I am getting older I am going more with plants like lilies and hostas.I am trying to plant things now that need as little care as possible.Never have been good at planning a flower garden because I love every new plant I meet.I discovered wsing too late in life but believe me,until I take my dirt nap,I'm gonna be sowing and planting...life without gardening is like life without breath...now I just need to get started wsing.missed out on all the swaps because I got sick but there's next yr.Just love this forum and have really missed not being here much,but hopefully I am back for good now.Who ever said getting old was the golden age,lied..lol moonphase |
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| I'm 51 and doing ok but finding mentally I just don't like taking on as much...but at the same time, I appreciate creating an oasis of peace more than ever. So I'll figure out some compromise. |
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- Posted by ladyrose65 6bNJ (My Page) on Fri, Dec 31, 10 at 21:34
| I will be 46, but had severe athritis esp. in my hands. I was WS in the basement as it got colder. I had to stop. I had no control over my fingers. I can't take the heat as much either. I pulled weeds and watered at night. Things do change. Very much so. |
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- Posted by gmom2-6boys mi z4-5 (My Page) on Sat, Jan 1, 11 at 12:27
| Getting older? I always thought my mother was old. Now I'm where she was. She is gone and I'm in her place. Just not so crippled. I'm in good health for 64 and have no problems. I would rather be outside than in. We are retired but who said life was easer. Since retiring 10 years ago we have moved, built a home and now cut our own wood for heat. I would love to garden to feed us all winter but the fruits don't grow for me here. Don't get enough sun but we keep taking down the trees around the house before they fall on us. Someday maybe. I can't see me not gardening or splitting wood. ALL BY HAND. This has been fun reading all these post. Keep up the good work. Happy Healthy New Year to each and every one of you no matter your age. gmom |
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- Posted by briergardener 7 (My Page) on Sun, Jan 2, 11 at 10:04
| Happy Healthy New Year to each of you, dear people. I turned 60 last November. So scary, body gives different notices. But i like gardening, I wish I could do this whole year, but I hate being in wet cold garden in winter, actually it's my body who hates it. I am trying to talk my DH in building sunroom on a deck so i could garden there in winter. How do you handle "winter gardening breaks"? |
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- Posted by lois PA Zone 6 (roselady@ptd.net) on Sun, Jan 2, 11 at 14:35
| I don't feel old at 45, but I do need to budget my time because I work (more than) full time. I like winter because it forces me to think outside the garden. In the spring, summer, and fall, I spend all my free time in the garden and don't want to do anything or go anywhere else. In the winter, I try to figure out solutions to garden problems and research new plants or seeds to buy, and also do some cooking and baking, which I don't do much of at other times of the year. So I really appreciate having a winter gardening break; it puts more rhythm into my life. gmom, 64 and splitting your own wood for heat? Wow, you rock! |
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- Posted by astilbebstillz6a 6-7 (mlgadd@windstream.net) on Mon, Jan 3, 11 at 11:00
| Cheer up,my friends,do not despair Don't let growing older give you the crazies For when you're six feet under, you'll still be gardening 'cause then you'll be pushin' up daisies! Just wanted to brighten your day-ha ha |
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- Posted by greylady-gardener 6/5 (My Page) on Thu, Feb 3, 11 at 10:15
| Oh, astilbebstillz6a!! That is a good one. :) I like it even (if the pushing up daisies part is looming closer and closer) haha |
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| I turned 62 last Spring, and could not imagine having a Spring if it were not for the garden and flowers. After all, what would be the point? After a long hard and dark winter, that is what I look forward to the most. I do know that last year with the heat in the summertime I worked outdoors in shorter spurts of time, and usually just in the mornings. Other than sometimes I had to roll over on my side to get up from the ground, it is still the greatest satisfaction on earth. |
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- Posted by downsouthdavid 7 (My Page) on Tue, Feb 8, 11 at 20:52
| Please don't give up! The moment you do, you may give up many other things, such as your willpower. Plant as much as you can to give yourself a challenge! I'm not aged yet, but when I do, I'm going to plant plant plant! Time is a desease and you can't give up the fight. Try some water aerobics. Great workout and it's easy on the joints. I know many people that have the rumatizm so bad they could barely walk. But after a few sessions of water aerobics they gained their mobility. |
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- Posted by wendy2shoes z6 S ON (My Page) on Tue, Feb 8, 11 at 23:19
| Moonphase..just picked up on your "dirt nap" reference. Love it! Please bury me under the canopy of a big tree! |
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| I turned 67 last month and am planning my gardens right now and getting ready to do some WS. I do a lot more with veggies than flowers. My DH always gripes about how flowers and shrubs are perfect hiding places for the snakes. Anyway, I've had arthritis since I was in my 20's. My knees usually give me more problems than anywhere else so I do have one of the little carts with wheels and places for tools and seeds that I can sit on. DH bought me a new tiller last year and I enjoy doing my own tilling. I have a very large garden. I did use rows of plastic in the garden last year and it was a big help at keeping the weeds down. Can't take the heat as well as I use to, so when I feel it might be getting to me, I stop and come into the house. I know I can do more than a lot of people older than me and some younger, but I just pace myself - no sense in overdoing it and causing more problems than I already have. I hope I can continue some amount of gardening until I take that ultimate nap. Even if its sticking a few tomato plants, cukes and lettuces into the self watering tubs I've built. Its the fact that I'm still doing something and get great results that will keep me going. We built our own house five years ago on our 21 acres and do all our own maintenance as well. DH splits the firewood and I stack it. Works for us. I'm glad that this thread was "bumped up". It makes for great inspiration. |
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- Posted by butterflyman 5 (My Page) on Thu, Feb 10, 11 at 14:02
| I supply plants to schools every year to create butterfly gardens. This year after a back operation, I'm going to have the kids come to my house to dig up my winter sown plants and divide some perennials. |
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- Posted by just1morehosta 5 (My Page) on Thu, Feb 10, 11 at 14:46
| I posted before,but I was just re-reading what every one has to say. Had my Dr. apt. last week, he was telling me that 60's, are the new 40's,we are living to be in our 80.s now. When you are 60, you are no longer concidered,Old, you are,Older,70 , your are old,80,VERY OLD Is 63 old?I don't feel old,yes, I have all the aches and pains we all do, but is 63,really old?I don't think so. I am 20 pounds over weight,but still feel,well, sexy, at times,still love pretty bras and panties,lipstick,and a nice hair du.Come 7-8 pm, I want my jammies on, during the winter, during the summer, I am m out side til dark. 63 old??? No.How many here still enjoy pretty undies,you 40 year olds,are still babies.:0) cAROL |
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| Just1morehosta, I'm with you. I don't feel old, but some of the aches and pains keep reminding me I'm not the kid that I sometimes see myself as. I have you beat on overweight, but yes, I do still love the pretty undies, nighties and feminine clothing. I sold my motorcycle last year because my husband was scared to death I'd get hit on the street. I have silver hair, but can still outdo a lot of the kids of today. And it really gets me when I see these youngsters in cars fighting the elderly for parking spaces close to the shops. Oh yes, and the couple about my age, but with no handicapped tag, that drove like crazy to get the "for pregnant women and women with small children" parking space. My goal has been to be like my grandmother, to live to be 96 or better and still going on my own. |
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- Posted by judysgardens (My Page) on Mon, May 2, 11 at 12:51
| Hi Everybody, I am turning 59 next month and have osteoarthritis in my hands and toes. Ugh! I had surgery on my right hand a few months ago and did my left hand about 5 years ago. I again have pain in my left hand as well. I LOVE gardening and like most of you, have spent dawn till dusk out in the garden losing track of time and loving every minute if it. Now I look at that kind of day as a dreaded chore and absolutely cannot do it anymore. My hands hurt bad and I feel very sad that I am not as strong as I used to be. I'm letting many areas in my garden go "natural" and have decided to concentrate on a few perennial beds of my favorite flowers and shrubs. I am purchasing a cordless hand pruner which I'm excited about and very hopeful it will allow me to do many of the tasks that hurt my hands. And I am just not going to be as meticulous about everything being perfect anymore. If there are some weeds in the bed, they will have to just share the space with everyone else. :) I hope I can continue gardening until I grow old, as least on a smaller scale. Judy |
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- Posted by beatrice_outdoors 6a MA (My Page) on Mon, May 2, 11 at 13:32
| Hi Everyone! I'm 45, my husband is 56. I had back surgery number 4 in December, and back surgery number 5 (spinal fusion) five weeks ago. My poor husband has to do all the lifting, digging, moving, etc. for me until I'm fully recovered, on top of a full time job as a mailman, and doing the laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. He's so tired by the end of the day!!!! I'll try to be more understanding, and less frustrated at my limitations. Some parts of the garden are having to wait until next year, or until I can get help from someone I trust to do the job right. IF we both want to live to be 90, we better pace ourselves more! |
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| Glad this was resurrected :) I've been wondering is it just me? Turned 57 this year and my knees have started bothering me. I cope by taking a step stool around with me as I garden, that and a 5 gal bucket for the weeds I pull along with my favorite shears :) I can't work as long in the garden now, part of it is age, but part of it I think for me is not getting enough exercise in general. Not giving up at this point though, just retired 2 years ago and I think this spring my garden looks better than it has in years. I finally have time to work in it without having to be such a weekend warrior. |
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- Posted by albertar z7 LINY (albee7447@aol.com) on Sat, May 7, 11 at 12:08
| Gee I thought I had posted on this thread, but just checked and didn't see it. I'm 63, and will be 64 in about 6 weeks, July 4th. I suffer from fibromyalgia and during the winter I'm almost crippled from it, but once the weather warms up I feel much better. This winter has literally kicked my butt. I've had 3 back surgeries in the past and have bad nerve damage from them, can't feel my legs from my knees down, YUCKY feeling. We are both retired and this season my hubby is helping me more than ever, thank goodness. The only thing I WS'd this season is tomatoes, and they are only putting on their true leaves now. I used to WS about 200 or more containers yearly, started in 2001, mostly perennials and I have to say my yard is full of those plants, :) Alberta |
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