Container Gardening In A Nutshell
Container gardening for seniors is the practice of growing plants in containers rather than in the ground (e.g., pots, tiny boxes, baskets, crates). If you don’t have good soil in your outside area, container gardening is a good option. Alternatively, your outdoor space may be concreted over. If you don’t have a lot of growing space, this is a good gardening strategy to use. You can plant a container garden like this either outside or inside your flat. You may even create a balcony garden that takes up very little room.
Why Is Container Gardening For Seniors Important?
It’s possible that you’ll have to handle big compost sacks and move the watering can around. While caring for your plants, you may need to bend and stretch. Does this imply you won’t be able to container gardening for seniors? Obviously not.
Plants Can Be Grown In Limited Space
The most serious issue that elders face is that their mobility is restricted. They can’t put as much effort into a vast garden as they did to when they were younger. They are unable to move the heavy dirt or compost sacks around the yard. Container gardening for seniors is ideal since it allows them to grow plants in a small space. As a result, they don’t have to move as much. Place the containers at a height that allows them to easily tend to the plant. Watering, trimming, and harvesting will become significantly easier.
Improves The Physical Condition
Seniors’ physical well-being will benefit from container gardening. Although it is not as strenuous as working in a typical garden, you must still put in some effort. You’ll need to do things like add potting soil, water the plants as needed, and prune the foliage. Because it involves good hand-eye coordination, this will help seniors enhance their motor abilities. The activity will also help elders build muscle and strength, which will improve their quality of life and extend their lives.
Also
Seniors will get a good dose of Vitamin D from the sun if they work in their garden every morning. This will strengthen their bones and lower their risk of damage. Because of exercise, fresh air, and Vitamin D, they will have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
Improves The Mental Health
Container gardening for seniors can help with stress, despair, and anxiety enhance their mental health. When working on the plants, it can also help persons with Alzheimer’s illness or dementia keep their minds occupied. Gardening can help elders combat loneliness and sadness while also serving as a social activity, particularly for those who are housebound. Senior gardeners can get together with other gardeners to talk about their plants and gardening in general. It’s also beneficial for people who are recovering from surgery, chemotherapy, or other medical ailments. It will aid in their recuperation by keeping them cheerful, stress-free, and happy while working on their plants.
Helps To Grow Healthy Food
One of the best aspects of container gardening for seniors is that it allows you to cultivate your own food in a little space. In a container, you can plant practically any food that you can grow in an in-ground or raised bed garden. To mention a few, you can grow tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, spinach, carrots, and beans. You may also cultivate herbs such as basil, parsley, or oregano to have fresh herbs all year.
Another Reason
Because they are cultivated without synthetic chemicals or pesticides, these home-grown foods have a significantly higher concentration of nutrients. Trying to cultivate their own food can be a fun hobby for seniors. As a result, they will be able to obtain healthy, organic meals. This will encourage them to consume more organic vegetables and live longer. So, gardening for seniors is the perfect way to make them healthier.