If you’re fond of gardening but beginning to find it difficult to keep up with the demands of maintaining your space, we have some helpful tips & tools for those with restricted mobility so you can continue enjoying your garden safely.
Gardening can be a form of enjoyment for many, it’s often considered a therapeutic and fulfilling experience, but as we get older being in the dirt on our hands and knees can become more difficult.
This article will help provide tips and helpful tools for anybody looking to get the most out of their garden, whilst still maintaining their independence and safety.
Extendable Litter Picker/ Grabber Tool
This handy ergonomic tool is used to pick up litter and objects from the ground without requiring you to bend or kneel. They come in a variety of long lengths to make picking up things from the floor hassle-free. They can even lift slippery items like glass, plastic bottles and other small items, thanks to their specially designed jaws, making them the perfect easy gardening aid for the elderly or those who suffer with restricted mobility. With this simple and low maintenance tool, you can keep your hands clean while still getting stuck into some gardening work.
Rolling Garden trolley with Tool Tray
These trolleys are the ideal gardening aid for for the disabled or elderly. With a 360-degree swivel seat, you can freely and swiftly move around your garden, and help to protect your back when working at low levels.
They can have a loading capacity in excess of 150kg and pneumatic tires. So, these robust trolleys should stand up to the harsh outdoor conditions, and last many years – great value for money! Look out for one’s with storage to keep your tools and supplies with you. These easy trolleys make gardening accessible for everyone.
Extendable Lopper
Pruning trees and hedges can be a tedious task that often requires a ladder if the branches are too high to reach. This is even more difficult to do if you’re in a wheelchair or have other conditions of restricted mobility.
The extendable lopper is a great aid for this problem. It comes in a range of extendable lengths, making it possible for you to reach those unreachable and tricky places. They also come with cushioned grips and shock-absorbing bumpers for a more comfortable and easy grip.
It goes without saying that you should never tackle anything that may cause damage to property, yourself or others.
Long-handled Garden Trowel
If you struggle with back pain or find it difficult to be on your feet for long periods of time, a long-handled stainless steel trowel would best suit you. With its long-reach design, it eliminates the need to bend, therefore, relieving any pressure on your back. A long-handled garden trowel is a great gardening aid for the elderly, helping you to garden in comfort even from a wheelchair. The trowel head is durable and easy to clean, and non-slip handles provide enhanced control even if the tool is wet.
Get gardening in all weathers with a long-handled garden trowel.
Long-handled Garden Hoe
Another ergonomically designed gardening aid is the long-handled garden hoe with a non-slip grip to use when breaking up and shaping soil, and removing weeds. This tool keeps your hand and wrist in a natural position, making it comfortable to use even for wheelchair users, and its long-reach design will help you avoid bending.
The long-handled garden hoe has a sharp wide blade that makes severing through the roots of weeds easy. The garden hoe has been a tool used to cultivate soil and remove weeds for years with its roots originating in Egyptian and Sumerian culture. The long handle makes the tool easy to use and hassle free to store, another easy and helpful gardening aid.
Multi-Watering Wand
Watering raised beds and hanging plants that are out of reach can be a challenging task, it can be easy to lose your balance or fall when trying to get to the hard to reach places.
This is where the multi-watering wand comes in. Made of lightweight materials and featuring push-buttons and cushioned grips, it makes watering hanging baskets easy. This is the ideal gardening aid for those who have arthritic fingers or have limited mobility. It allows you to continue to do what you love without pain or risk of injury.
Long-handled Weed Grabber
This weed grabber and root removal tool eliminates the need for bending over to pick up weeds. If your garden is prone to crabgrass, dandelions and lawn burweed, this is your new favourite companion! With its pointed claws, comfortable black foam grip and push and pull knob, weed pulling can be a fun and effortless activity. You’ll never have to stress your back or gather dirt under your nails again.
With a long-handled weed grabber you can pull up stubborn and overgrown weeds while standing up. If you’re looking to spend more time in your garden and tending to your plants but struggle with getting down to floor level without support, a long-handled weed grabber is an excellent tool to add to your gardening aids.
Electric Cultivator/ Tiller
If you’re unable to loosen the soil with a shovel or pitchfork anymore, there’s a tool that can save you from such back-breaking work. An electric cultivator effortlessly grinds out fist-sized rocks and breaks up clumps and compacted layers of soil. Domestic lightweight tillers are powerful and can work on clay soil (not suitable for heavy ones) and sandy soil and makes aerating small plots or cleaning up raised flower beds easy work.
This type of tool is perfect for the elderly, those with arthritis and people with disabilities. It comes in corded, and battery-operated cordless versions so you can choose the best option for the needs of both you and your property.
Electric Stairlift
If you have steps or stairs in your garden that are becoming difficult to tackle, an electric stairlift can help with garden mobility and allow you to continue to enjoy your garden. Electric Stairlifts are waterproof and can be easily installed by professionals.
There are also grants available for disabled individuals living in Wales who seek help with funding a stairlift installation & fee. Installing a stairlift is a big and emotional decision, if you’re unsure whether a stairlift is the best fit for your needs, we recommend using a local stairlift engineer to come and assess your property and your needs and to evaluate whether a stairlift is your best option.
Gardening doesn’t need to be a difficult task, and there are countless tools, tips & tricks that can help the agriculture lovers with their handy-work. For more information regarding garden rails, ramps & outdoor security, get in touch with your local disability equipment provider.
