Ten Garden Tips for the Senior Gardener

Gardening is something we're never too old to enjoy, but as we age, there are a few things that can make our time in the garden easier and safer.

1. Wagon - Remember your first Red Flyer wagon? Wasn't that thing grand? But, eventually you grew up and the little red wagon seemed to lose it's usefulness. Until now. A wagon makes a great landscaping tool because of it's small size and ease of use. You can move landscaping rock, mulch, dirt, even plants. You can even use it to haul your other gardening tools. My personal favorite use for the little red wagon, however, is to sit inside while I do my ground work. This saves a lot of strain on the back and knees!

2. Yard Broom - The inexpensive plastic yard brooms are great for smoothing yard clippings, mulch, and raking leaves and debris from your shrubs. Being light in construction, they don't tire you out as fast as a traditional metal tined rake can.

3. Old Broom or Mop Handle - These have so many uses! Before you begin planting you can use 2 sticks to help you plan straight rows. Place one stick at one end of your garden area and the other stick at the opposite end - stretch a string between the two and mark out your straight line with your foot in the soft tilled soil. My personal favorite is to use one of these sticks to punch holes for packaged seeds and individual seedlings such as onion sets in my beds. It can also be used to make a trench in soft tilled soil for small seeds such as radish and lettuce. Once your planting is done, the sticks can be used to stake tomato plants or other tall vegetables. If you don't have any old broom or mop handles, bamboo can also be used in the same manner.

4. Scissors - There are simply too many uses for a good quality pair of scissors to list! I recommend you purchase the type that can be taken apart at a screw in the center and sharpened, because you will find you use them almost every time you garden. One use that I have found particularly handy is to use them to snip vegetables from delicate vines. Sometimes picking the vegetables, or snapping the stems, can accidentally break tender vines.

5. Plastic Containers - You can never have too many! Plastic soda bottles, and empty milk jugs make excellent "spot" soakers for individual plants in need of more water. Simply poke a few tiny holes in the bottom, fill and cap, and set upright in the soft tilled soil by the plant in need of a "soak". This same trick works great for house plants if you have to be away from home for a few days.

6. Empty Spray Bottles - Save and wash thoroughly to remove any cleaning chemical that may have been in them. You can use them for misting plants with water, to spray liquid fertilizer, or even liquid pesticide that requires dilution in water. You can mark these containers more clearly with larger print than the original containers by using a black permanent marker. Be sure to store in potting or tool shed or garage out of reach of children, preferably in a locked or out of low reach cabinet.

7. Old Socks, Cotton T-Shirts - Save these and cut into 2 inch thick strips as long as the garment allows. These make fantastic ties for plants that need staking and extra support. These strips will not damage the growing plant and are larger than typical cotton twine and much easier to open and re-tie as the plant grows.

8. Cell Phone or Cordless Phone - This isn't something we always think of taking into the garden with us, but something we should never be without when we're outside our home and working with gardening tools and chemicals.

9. Water Bottle with Snap Sipper - Sometimes we forget how hot it actually is out in the sun until it's too late. Regardless of the temperature, make a point of drinking at least 2 to 3 ounces of water every hour when you're working outside in the sun. Heat exhaustion and dehydration can happen very rapidly, and good hydration is one measure you can take toward prevention.

10. Appropriate Clothing - Always wear a gardening hat to help block the sun's damaging rays from beating directly down onto you. I recommend a lightweight white cotton long sleeve button front smock to protect your arms, and a sun block with an SPF of at least 15 to protect you from sunburn as well.