We are in the middle of the wonderful part of the year with our children. Summer means hanging out with the neighborhood kids, groups outings, staying up a bit late and sleeping in even later, seasonal jobs, and no homework except the perfunctory one book report due the first day of school. Although I have to admit, 10 hours at Great America with six kids was a bit much for me, we enjoying every moment of this season. Now that the novelty of summer has worn off, I have been asking the kids to do some āspring cleaningā type projects. The most recent one was cleaning off the family bookshelf. Books have always been a key component in our childrenās lives. While, we have safely packed away most of the ones that were read particularly significant to them when they were younger, we still had at least 200 books in our den. I tasked Sarah and Christopher with sorting through all of the books and choosing which ones we no longer needed to keep. Three laundry baskets full of books later; I was ready to head off to the Half Price bookstore. I feel good because the book shelf looks so much nicer and my kids feel good because they will receive a few dollars for their hard work.
While I was waiting for the clerk at the bookstore to tally up what the books were worth, I of course, wandered into the gardening section of the store. A book called “The Practical and Illustrated guide to Gardening for Seniors” caught my eye. While, I didnāt really appreciate the generalization that this book was only for people of a certain age, I have really enjoyed reading it. Patty Cassidy, the author has put together a fantastic mix of gardening tips, recommended techniques, pictures and illustrations.
Two words are uttered during almost every landscape consultation that I do. ‘Low Maintenanceā gardens are what we are all trying to achieve. Patty addresses determining what you want to achieve in your gardens, choosing plants; those to consider planting and avoiding, and easier ways to do gardening tasks such as weeding and watering.
While nature has been providing most of the water to our plants this year, the “Watering” section of the book is quite informative. I especially appreciated ergonomic watering can with two handles so that it was easier to use. Using a quick connector to attach additional hoses makes so much sense that we will be doing that at our own home.
Recently a relative of mine fell while outside. She has had knee replacement surgery and was having great difficulty getting up. With the help of a combination garden kneeler, she was able to push herself up. Once she pushed herself up, she could then turn the kneeler upside down and use it is as a portable seat. It made a very difficult situation manageable. A combination garden kneeler was featured in a supportive equipment section of the book.
Gardening is an inherently physically engaging activity. The section on maximizing comfort includes what clothing to consider wearing while gardening, as well as suggestions for everything from your feet to your head. Yes, I know I should wear sunscreen and a hat, but perhaps just seeing it in writing might be the final inspiration that I need.
If you are interested in checking out the book yourself it is called “The Practical Illustrated Guide to Gardening for Seniors” by Patty Cassidy. I purchased my copy at The Half Price Book store at 2226 South Randall Road in Algonquin.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column.
