How to Future Proof Your Garden for Later Life

For many of us, a garden is like our own personal sanctuary. A place we can relax, reflect and reminisce. Pottering around in the garden not only aids our mental health, but our physical health, too. However, there may come a time when taking care of a garden can become more of a burden than a joy. Taking steps to future proof our garden can ensure it provides us with pleasure and happiness for many years to come.

Things to Consider

All of our gardens are different but being able to safely access areas as we age is important. Think about steps, paths, outside lighting, trip hazards, storage. Consider ways to reduce the amount of physical work that needs to be done. If your garden is too large, think about setting a portion aside for ‘wilding’. This will not only reduce the amount of work that needs doing, but could also provide the perfect habitat for wildlife such as butterflies and bees.

What Do You Want Your Garden to Be Used for? 

If you enjoy using your garden all year, consider an outside shelter or building, perhaps a gazebo or summerhouse. If you like your garden to produce food, perhaps you might like to have some raised beds for easy planting or harvesting. These can be built in wood or bought from garden centres. To me, there is nothing more rewarding than eating a meal you have grown yourself.

Perhaps you enjoy outside eating… I know I do! Think about where you want to sit, what shade you would need, if you would like to cook outside. Instead of having a large BBQ, I have two small portable ones, so I can use one if I am eating on my own, but have extra space to cook if I have guests.

Green walls, planters, pots and hanging baskets are excellent ways of producing plants without the need to dig or kneel. Trellis can also provide excellent opportunities for colour and fragrance around seated areas. You can still have all the beauty of your favourite flowers without too much physical exertion.

Making Things Easy

There are many things you can do to ease the workload, for example no-dig gardening, paving, mulch, or buying tools that will lighten the load. Consider a watering system; it can make life so much simpler, especially if you live in a very dry climate. Think about the type of plants you choose and how easy they are to care for. 

Making things accessible can save you a huge amount of time and effort, so consider your storage carefully. You may also like to invest in a lightweight wheelbarrow or trug trolley for moving things around the garden.

The Sound of Water

After many years of having large ponds, I have decided to use small water features that run on solar power. They sprinkle little shoots of water that splash down into bird baths or shallow basins. This encourages wildlife as well as being pleasant to watch and listen to. Although nothing in my garden is more than an inch or two deep, I am always aware of safety, both for tiny animals or small children.

Create Your Future Proof Paradise

So take a piece of paper and sketch out how your future garden could look. Begin with the basics, always keeping in mind that you want to enjoy it as you age. Consider your safety and the amount of work the garden will need as you age. What equipment could you get that lightens the load? 

Design your garden with your preferred colour scheme, Write down the things that make you happy or smile. This is your own little piece of paradise, designing it well will ensure it remains so. Picture yourself, years, maybe decades from now.

Benefits of Gardening

Gardening has many benefits, especially as we age. It keeps us active and forward thinking, we need to remember when to plant/sow/water. It provides an opportunity to increase vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. It can improve sleep, lower anxiety and reduce stress. Our gardens can produce nutritious, delicious food. Gardening can also provide a purpose; it needs to be tended and cared for. Most of all, it is a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy, what more could you want? :)

Conversation Questions:

Have you future proofed your garden? What is the one thing that makes gardening easier for you? Has your garden improved your life?