Ruth Sauer

Several years ago, as retirement age was becoming a reality, thoughts of getting to work for hours on end in my garden filled my mind.

Often, while commuting to work, I had noticed an elderly man tending his garden while in his wheelchair. This got me to thinking about what benefits could be reaped along the way as well as what aids and tools would be necessary to continue being active in the garden as my age advanced as well.

So, the research began to answer the questions in my mind. The various articles available concerning the question of what benefits could be reaped from staying active in the garden were very enlightening.

There are articles available detailing the benefits for the elderly and handicapped. These articles document benefits ranging from brain health to osteoporosis. The overall message in these studies and articles is, people who garden are far healthier both mentally and physically than those who do not garden.

The next question was what gardening aids are available for the physically disabled. One article explains how Texas AgrAbility helps impaired people stay active in the garden by using landscape design and gardening tools designed to reduce stress on joints and assist with gardening tasks.

The links below provide in-depth information on helping the elderly and disabled continue to garden.

https://tinyurl.com/natureshealingpowers

https://tinyurl.com/impactsofgardeninghealth

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