Celebrate National Garden Month By Setting Up a Garden With Your Mom

National Garden Month celebrates the millions of Americans that grow their own fruits, vegetables, and flowers. With more than 39 million gardeners in the U.S., it’s one of the nation’s most popular hobbies.

Your mom has a harder time gardening on her own. Take time this year to help her have the gardens she wants. Here are some of the ways to help her get set up with low-maintenance gardens.

Simplify Gardening With Raised Beds and Container Gardens

Raised beds are fantastic for someone with mobility issues. Set them up in an accessible area like the edges of a patio or big planters on a deck. There are self-watering raised bed tables that you can also set up on a deck.

Your mom won’t have to bend over to tend to her plants if you choose options like those. But, you do need to consider what will grow best. Plants with deep roots, such as potatoes and carrots, won’t be as good a choice as tomatoes or peppers.

Another option for a raised bed involves space in the yard. Purchase some lumber and build frames. Place the frame down and dig out the grass in that rectangle or square. Turn over the soil that’s exposed and place the frame. Fill it with garden soil and compost/aged manure. The higher level is easier to work with, but you have the depth needed for root crops.

Try Lasagna Gardening

While the lasagna gardening technique takes a little more time to get started, it’s a handy way to add composting to your mom’s routine. Instead of throwing out her fruit and vegetable scraps, if that’s allowed in her state, she can add them to her garden to decompose and provide nutrients to her growing plants.

To help her get started, you want to lay wet cardboard in an accessible area of her yard. Cover that with grass trimmings or wet leaves, compost or manure, garden soil, and more wet cardboard. Do this several times until the layer is around a foot high.

Once that’s in place, plant your mom’s seeds and seedlings into a final layer of garden soil. The roots of those growing plants help break down the materials.

Stay Safe While Gardening

Your mom does need to be safe when she’s outside. Bug repellent keeps biting insects like mosquitoes and ticks away. She should wear long pants and tuck the cuffs into her socks to keep ticks from crawling up her pants.

Sunscreen is essential. She doesn’t want to burn and deal with the pain and discomfort. Plus, sunburns increase the risk of skin cancer.

When she’s outside in the heat and sun, she needs to stay hydrated. She should carry a bottle of water with her or take breaks in the shade and have a glass of iced tea or water while she sits.

In-home care aides are another way to ensure your mom has support while completing her daily routines. Learn more about the benefits of in-home care by talking to an advisor.

Sources:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/716538/us-vegetable-gardening-participation/