Tending a garden can provide benefits like reduced stress and more opportunities for exercise. For seniors, gardening can be a fulfilling way to feel a sense of purpose, interact with others in the community, and enjoy time in nature.

Cultivating an appreciation for plants and gardening is easy, no matter where you live or how little space you have. Whether you anticipate making income from a plant-related venture in your retirement planning or you’re simply hoping to find your next hobby, here’s how to cultivate your passion for plants in retirement.

Start small with indoor plants

Aloe vera, snake plants, and peace lilies are all easy-to-maintain indoor plants with few upkeep requirements. You can also get personalized plant suggestions for your hardiness zone from a local gardener or nursery owner. Indoor plants may grow well near windows and don’t always require direct sunlight to thrive. You’ll still need to water and fertilize your plants, as well as ensure that they’re not attacked by pests or diseases. Overall, indoor plants can be a great entry point for gardening for novices or anyone living in an apartment or townhouse with little space.

Try a community garden

Community gardens are plots where members of a residential community can grow flowers, vegetables, or any plants/trees of their choice. Community gardens not only offer seniors a chance to participate in gardening activities, but they also provide a chance to meet and socialize with people of all ages from the neighborhood. Depending on how community gardening activities are managed, retirees may be able to choose tasks aligned with their expertise, strength, and mobility levels.

Consider adaptive gardening methods

Retirees keen to focus their energy on their own garden can explore adaptive gardening techniques. These approaches help reduce physical strain without compromising your ability to create a beautiful garden. Here are some adaptations to consider:

• Garden height: Tending to in-ground plants can be troublesome for people with mobility problems. However, alternatives like raised garden beds, vertical gardens, and container gardens can be an effective solution.
• Accessibility: As retirees age, they may require wide, stable walkways suitable for walkers or wheelchairs and appropriate seating as necessary.
• Tools: Gardeners often use tools like rakes, trowels, shears, and more. It makes sense to choose lightweight and ergonomic tools and to work with grip aids as and when necessary.

Set a gardening budget

Most people have experienced spending a large sum on a new hobby only to lose interest within a few weeks. Gardening is incredibly rewarding, but buying plants, gardening equipment, garden beds, fertilizer, and other supplies right away may be too much too soon. Use your financial planning skills to create a small gardening budget. This may force you to start with a small vegetable or herb garden instead of the large formal garden you had in mind, but it will also give you time to visualize and plan your dream garden without breaking the bank.