If you love doing yardwork or don’t want to pay someone else to do it, then you might worry about age making landscaping harder. With all the moving, bending, lifting, and so forth, yardwork isn’t exactly an easy task. But it’s absolutely manageable! Here, we explore how to make yardwork easier when you’re older with good tools and the right mindset.
Stock Up on Ergonomic, Easy-To-Use Tools
First, find tools that make your job as easy as possible. For example, your handheld tools should be lightweight and feature cushioned grips that reduce hand fatigue. Long or telescoping handles are also useful to help you avoid excessive bending.
Likewise, consider going electric where you can. For instance, if you’re between a gas and electric mower, the latter will probably provide more efficiency, greater ease of use, and less maintenance. You can even fully automate the machine by going robotic! Robot mowers set out to methodically cut your lawn with the push of a button.
Take Your Time With Each Project
Rather than tackling your entire yard in one day like you maybe could do in your youth, divide projects into manageable chunks. Spend just an hour working before calling it a day or at least taking a break. You don’t have to push yourself to your limits—your yard will be there in the morning.
Redesign Your Landscape for Simplicity
Consider replacing high-maintenance areas of your yard with lower-maintenance alternatives. For example, if you have high-maintenance plants that require continuous monitoring, pest control, watering, and pruning, you might want to swap them out in favor of native species. Native plants require significantly less watering and care once their roots are established.
You can also consider ground cover instead of grass. It’s also typically a native species that will cover your lawn in a lush blanket of greenery and won’t require hardly any maintenance (i.e., watering, weeding, and mowing) on your part.
Lastly, consider removing big or complicated water features. A simple bird bath could be fine, but a koi pond or a running fountain requires a lot of maintenance that you might feel too tired to accomplish. However, that’s up to you to decide!
Install Smart Watering Solutions
Watering is by far one of the most persistent and time-consuming aspects of landscaping. What if you never had you pick up a hose again?
That’s the beauty of smart watering systems. For instance, soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems automatically deliver water directly to plant roots at programmed times (if you hook the irrigation up to a timer).
Contact Professionals for Heavy-Duty Work
Finally, it’s okay to call in some help. Physically demanding jobs like tree pruning, stump removal, or major landscaping renovations are a lot to handle. If you want to get one of these projects done, the best thing for your health is probably to hire a professional service.
You’ve worked hard to create a beautiful outdoor space. With this guide to making yardwork easier when you’re older, you can keep the beauty alive well into your latter years.
