How To Maintain Your Green Fingers In Old Age.

As the population as a whole grows older and maintaining an active lifestyle becomes more of a conscious effort, gardening can provide the perfect solution to people’s worries about staying mobile. Whether you invest in your own allotment or simply plant seeds in your back garden, looking after and maintaining a green space can give a sense of purpose and routine which might otherwise be lacking.

For those who have trouble with mobility, outdoor stairlifts are the answer. They can be fitted to a flight of outdoor stairs and are fully waterproof. The manually powered swivel feature allows for easy access.

There are many different options available when deciding what you want to plant in your garden. The Saffron Crocus is a stunning white flower which can be used as a source of saffron, an essential seasoning for many dishes including paella and curry.

Asparagus Crown plants will yield a tasty and nutritious addition to many meals. If your cooking is geared towards Mediterranean ingredients, an olive plant will serve you well.

Gardening will also therefore open avenues into other activities which will keep you engaged.

Forming a group or club around gardening fresh ingredients and then cooking them together with other people your age will give you a good reason to regularly meet with others and also provide added incentive to ensure you continue to garden regularly.

You could take it in turns with others to plant new seeds, ensure they are grown and maintained to a satisfactory standard and then prepare meals designed around the ingredients provided by each plant. Setting aside a time once or twice a week when you will dedicate yourself to focussing only on what needs to be done in your garden will ensure you don’t lose interest too quickly.

There are many gardening courses available which will show you the basics and encourage you to develop your skills to the highest standards. Often these will be spread out over a number of days or weeks so you can take in the information provided in a manner that won’t discourage you from continuing to learn about the gardening process. If you would prefer to learn about gardening methods and techniques as well as the tools involved at a more leisurely pace and in a more relaxed environment you could always search for information online or in your local library.

If you would prefer to spread the responsibility of maintaining the plants and vegetables in your garden space you could agree with a group of others to purchase an allotment together or join one of the groups which provide access to such spaces on a collective basis, thus removing the stress of being solely responsible for the maintenance and work involved.

Gardening is a hobby which can be both enjoyable and useful. It will enable you to enjoy the outdoors whilst also providing opportunities to meet others on a regular basis. It will help you to maintain dexterity and give you the pleasure of watching your plants grow and there have even been reports that helping elderly individual tend their gardens could save the NHS £11,000 a year

Gardening courses for beginners - new to gardening a GardenAdvice course is an ideal place to start

GardenAdvice One-Day Gardening Courses

GardenAdvice one-day gardening courses are specially created for gardeners with a range of skills, from beginners to expert gardeners. Our courses take place in your own garden, anywhere in the UK, led by GardenAdvice expert gardeners on a date that suits you – a perfect gardening gift for the gardener in your life.

Become a more confident gardener with the GardenAdvice Gardening Course.

Whether you're new to gardening or have some experience, it can seem a bit complicated at first with all the Latin names and gardening terminology. GardenAdvice.co.uk has developed a specially designed, one-day course to teach you the basic skills of gardening and help you get started.

The courses, held in your own garden, cover essential skills such as pruning, correct digging methods, growing your own shrubs, and creating the perfect lawn. You can also see some of our clients from the gardening courses and our MyGardenTeam service in the client section of the GardenAdvice website.

For more information, visit our gardening courses section or email us at admin@gardenadvice.co.uk. Alternatively, you can phone us on 01225 941023.