You go outside to pick a few vegetables. Then you notice weeds, a plant that needs tying, and a pot that looks dry. Before long, your quick garden visit has become a much bigger job than you planned. Learning how to pace yourself while gardening starts before you pick up a tool. Decide what matters…
Gardening Should Not Require Carrying Everything by Hand Gardening involves more carrying than many people realize. Bags of soil, hand tools, plants, hoses, weeds, mulch, and harvested vegetables all need to move from one place to another. When you are younger, you may grab what you need and carry it across the yard without thinking…
Gardening equipment can feel heavier with every passing year. A shovel that once seemed manageable may now strain your shoulders. A full watering can can pull on your wrist. Even ordinary pruning shears can become tiring after a few minutes. That does not mean you have to stop gardening. Choosing lighter, better-balanced equipment can reduce…
Gardening Shouldn’t Be a Test of Strength I have been gardening long enough to remember when I didn’t think twice about the weight of a shovel, how hard I had to squeeze a pruner, or how many times I bent down to pull weeds. Those things matter a lot more to me today. I have…
A Vegetable Garden Should Fit the Gardener There is something special about walking outside and picking food for dinner from your own garden. A few tomatoes, peppers, lettuce leaves, green beans, or fresh herbs may not seem like much when you first plant them. But once you start eating food you grew yourself, it is…
🌱 From My Garden After multiple shoulder surgeries, breast cancer surgeries, knee surgery, chronic back pain, and weak hands, I’ve learned that the best gardening decisions are often made before a single seed goes into the ground. When I was younger, I could spend an entire weekend weeding, hauling mulch, and moving heavy bags of…
🌱 From My Garden I know how frustrating it is when gardening leaves you sore for days. I don’t write these articles because I read about them. I write them because I’ve lived them. Between shoulder surgery for torn rotator cuff in both shoulders, two left shoulder replacements, chronic back pain, knee surgery, and surgeries…
Gardening Doesn’t Have to Take Up Your Whole Yard 🌱 From My Garden Over the years, I’ve learned that gardening isn’t about how much land you have. It’s about using the space you have wisely. Living on five acres sounds like every gardener’s dream, but I’ve discovered that spreading everything out means a lot more…
🌱 From My Garden I’ve learned that gardening doesn’t have to happen in long rows across the backyard. Some of my favorite vegetables and herbs grow just a few steps from my back door in containers. They’re easier to reach, easier to maintain, and much kinder to my back and knees than working at ground…
🌱 From My Garden Gardening has helped me through some difficult seasons of life. I’ve lived with multiple shoulder surgeries, including two left shoulder replacements, breast cancer surgeries, chronic back pain, knee problems, and weak hands. I know what it’s like when your body changes but your love of gardening doesn’t. While I don’t personally…