If you're looking to buy a unique present for an elderly gardener, we have some great gift ideas to share with you. You'll find everything in this post, from ergonomic gardening tools, to garden kneerler seats and vertical planters.
The Benefits Of Gardening Into Later Years
There's something about working in nature with soil and plants that's so good for the soul. As people age, physical activity gets increasingly difficult on their bodies. But if someone close to you is a gardener, they're not going to want to stop. Fortunately, they don't have to. More and more, there are tools and helpful items to keep you gardening well into advanced years.
The benefits of not leaving your garden are many. It's great for your psychological well-being, it helps keeps your bones strong by staving off effects of osteoporosis, it allows your body to get some natural Vitamin D, it's a stress-reliever, and it's incredibly rewarding. It's even reported that working outdoors can help improve memory, restore a sense of confidence, reduce frustration, and improve social interaction.
But how do you garden with the effects of aging? Joints that ache and swell can be troublesome. Balance can make the need for standing and stooping difficult. The sun can really take it out of an elderly person. It might be hard for the elderly gardener to get themselves down and get themselves back up. Let's not even mention the exhaustion.
Tips For Making Gardening Easier For Seniors
Don't worry, there are things the elderly gardener can do to make gardening easier.
- Grow on a trellis or a vertical garden to reduce the amount of stooping or sitting required.
- Create tall raised beds for the same reason.
- Sit on a gardening stool to work instead of stooping and bending and putting pressure on joints.
- Use tools with longer handles for better reach.
- Have ample protection from the sun and work during cooler hours of the day.
- Perhaps the most fun of all is to garden with a friend.
Great Gifts For The Gardening Grandparent
We've gathered a collection of wonderful items for the elderly gardener to make their passion attainable and easier. These gardening ideas are perfect to buy for yourself or to gift to your favorite gardening grandparent.
Going Vertical
One way to help an elderly gardener is to lift the plants up and away from the ground. Vertical gardens allow for ease of access and don't require the bending and stooping necessary for garden beds. They can even be used if someone needs a cane or a walker for balance.
Read more: 21 Small, Lightweight Planters For Your Vertical Garden
Five-Tier Garden
This five-tier vertical garden is four feet tall and two feet wide. The five planter boxes feature drainage holes and the whole thing is easy to assemble. This compact vertical garden would work well on a balcony or small townhouse patio.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
Garden On Wheels
Here's another great vertical garden, and this one has the added bonus of wheels for the ultimate in garden mobility. The planters come in a choice of grey, terra cotta, or green colors and are BPA free plastic. Each kit contains 2 large planters at the base, 4 medium planters in the center, and 12 smaller planters at the top. Great for growing herbs or flowers.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
Cucumber Trellis
This fabulous cucumber trellis makes picking delicious cukes easy. Just reach out and harvest the ripe vegetables with no bending or stretching needed. Plus the interior space makes a cozy spot for a garden kitty to hide. It comes in green or red and folds flat for the winter months for easy storage.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
Raised Bed Boxes
Another way to elevate your gardens is with raised bed boxes on legs. These natural cedar boxes are attractive and functional for the elderly gardener. Perfect for those who love to raise vegetables. This particular one is 31" high, 27" deep, and 51" long, though raised bed boxes can be found in a multitude of sizes. The cedar wood is insect and rot resistant for long-lasting functionality.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
The Right Tools For The Elderly Gardener
Having gardening tools that take the specific considerations of the elderly gardener into consideration is a plus. Longer handles, stools for sitting, good gloves with grip, can help to make matters in the garden easier. We've put together a few great ideas for you.
A Sitting Stool With Tool Pockets
Once the knees have hit a certain point in life, kneeling takes on a whole new dimension of struggle. That's why having a handy gardening bench is a super thing for the elderly gardener. This foldable design features a compact bench and 2 removable side pockets with six slots to put gardening tools. The whole thing only weighs slightly under 6 lbs, but it can hold up to 330 lbs. If you flip it upside down, it creates a low kneeling bench to keep your pants out of the dirt.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
A Rolling Scooter Seat For The Garden
This ingenious little seat comes on four sturdy wheels that roll equally as well in grass, dirt, or concrete. It has a handy tool tray below the seat for your garden tools and can hold up to 250 lbs of weight. It does only have a 13" high seat, so your gardener needs some flexibility to get down to sit on it.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
A Sturdy Waterproof Gardener's Bag
Another nice gift for the elderly gardener is this all-inclusive gardening tote. It comes with all the tools you see here, gloves, a squirt bottle, and twine. The bag itself is a sturdy waterproof polyester with abundant handles. A large center pocket is surrounded by 8 exterior tool pockets. The sturdy leather handle makes hanging it by the door for easy access no problem at all.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
A No Bend Weeding Tool
Weeds got your elderly gardener down? This great no-bend weed remover provides ergonomic ease. A 33" long handle and foot pedal allow you to get in there and get rid of pesky weeds in the garden. The padded handle grip makes it easy to hang onto for arthritic hands.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
Gardening Gloves For Arthritic Hands
These gardening gloves were designed by an orthopedic hand surgeon with arthritis and sensitive hands in mind. They keep your hands cool, dry, and comfortable while providing superior grip and comfort.
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3 Piece Aluminum Garden Tool Set
The tools are designed to handle dense weeds and can make grooming your garden an easier task. Each tool features an ergonomic soft handle that fits comfortably in both small and large hands. These handles are designed to minimize stress on the wrists and hands, which is particularly beneficial for seniors with limited hand strength or arthritis.
Best Ideas For Taming The Sun And The Outdoors For The Elderly Gardener
Sun can wear down the best of people when it's high in the sky and hot outside. That's why it's important to wear our sunscreen, hydrate, and keep out of the temps at the hottest part of the day. We've found some great items for the older gardener with the sun and the elements in mind.
Great Bug Spray
This lemon and eucalyptus bug spray not only works great but smells pretty good, too. Nobody wants to come in from gardening with mosquito bites or a hitchhiking tick attached. This spray can be sprayed on your clothes without staining, on your skin without the worry of chemicals like DEET, but best of all, it smells like the natural smells of lemon and eucalyptus leaves. Keep one in your gardening tote!
Click here to see this on Amazon.
Good Sunscreen
This top-rated sunscreen is waterproof, oil-free and melts into your skin. A good sunscreen should be reapplied every hour or so if you're out working in your garden. Keep a tube of this handy in your gardening tote.
Click here to see this on Amazon.
Hydration Flask
This lightweight hydration backpack features a hands-free option for keeping that water flowing while your hands are free for gardening. It holds 2 liters of water and the fabric is lightweight and breathable to keep your gardener from getting overheated.
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A Great Woman's Sun Shirt
A breathable lightweight UPF rated sun shirt with long sleeves goes a long way to battle the effects of the sun when working outdoors. This popular model from Columbia is rated UPF 30, is loose and comfortable, has two breast pockets, comes in multiple colors, regular and plus sizes.
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A Wide-Brimmed Sun Hat
One of the best things for keeping the sun off of your face is to use a wide-brimmed sun hat. With the right one, you'll not only have protection but look smashing as well. This cute hat has a wide brim, a lanyard to hold it on, and a UPF 50 rating.
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Here's a unisex version from Columbia that has UPF protection and is moisture-wicking for those hot sweaty days in the garden.
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Are you ready to pick out the perfect gift for your favorite older gardener? Hopefully, this post gave you some fresh ideas and some new things to think about. Remember to consider the limitations of the body as we age, and the best ways to mitigate the harshness of the environment. That will keep your elder gardener enjoying their passion for many, many years while making things easier at the same time.