Creating an Arthritis-Friendly Garden

If you have arthritis, you don’t need to completely overhaul your garden, but there are some changes you could put in place so looking after your garden is easier to do. To adapt your garden, you can try to:

1. Make access easier by using raised beds, vertical gardens, hanging baskets, or containers.
2. Reduce stress on joints and muscles from repetitive movements by using garden tools that keep hands and wrists in a good position (see here for advice on tools).
3. Minimise bending and stress on back, neck and shoulders by using special long-reach easy grip tools – this includes bulb planters.
4. Reduce the amount of weeding you do by applying a weed barrier with mulch.
5. Reduce the amount of force required to trim plants by using power assisted tools.

Garden Layout

• Bed and border design

It’s a good idea to have narrow beds and borders. This allows you to tend to your beds without having to overstretch. The recommended maximum width is 50cm. Beyond this, you will need to step into the bed to reach your plants.

• Simple lawns

If you have a large lawn, it can need regular maintenance through mowing and edging.

If you want to make your lawn easier to manage, you could reduce the size. This doesn’t mean concreting over your garden. If you replace sections with gravel, you can still have planting areas within the gravel.

If you have a lawn, choose straight edges instead of curving. This will make mowing easier.

To make edges easier to maintain, you could have a solid edge, e.g., log rolls or concrete based. When you have grass all the way to your borders, it can take work to keep tidy.

• Manageable distances

Try and design your space so you don’t have to carry items too far. Have your shed close to where you use the items – e.g., near the lawn if you have a lawnmower.

How You Garden

• Containers and raised beds

You may prefer to grow plants in raised beds or elevated containers. These are especially helpful if bending is hard or you garden from a wheelchair.

• Digging

Digging is a good workout and can be quite therapeutic. It is also quite a strong and repetitive movement. You may find digging causes you discomfort.

For new beds, some advance work is needed to remove weeds without digging. This can take several months, or up to a year.

For existing beds, simply add a layer of mulch and planting into them as normal. You will need a large quantity of mulch to cover your bed

By not digging, in theory worms and other microorganisms that are essential to soil health survive. It is also makes the task of preparing beds and borders much easier physically!

• Plant Choice

You can reduce the effort needed to garden through your plant selection.

Plants that like dry conditions will need less watering. Agapanthus, lavender, hardy geranium, geum, sedum and grasses are all good choices.

If you are growing fruit and veg, there are ways you can make these easier to manage. Some dwarf varieties of fruit tree, for example, will never grow beyond a metre or two in height.

• Greenhouses

Cold weather can be uncomfortable for those living with arthritis. A greenhouse can offer some extra weather protection. This makes it possible to garden for more of the year.

When you are working in the greenhouse, set up any tables or shelves so you can work comfortably. Whenever you sit to work, make sure you can get close to the working area. Have your legs tucked at right angles and elbows resting on the work surface.

During colder spells, pre-heating the greenhouse can make time in it more comfortable. For some, even this will still be too cold. In which case, enjoy spending winter making plans inside.

If you do want to get outside, make sure you dress appropriately for the weather and move about to keep warm.