These days, there's a guide to retirement living for nearly every taste. There are tips for those that love the fine arts, hints for old salts who enjoy fishing, but what about those that prefer to get their hands—quite literally—dirty? Whether gardening is a pastime you've always wanted to take up or you'd like to keep your skills sharp throughout your golden years, retirement living and gorgeous gardens go very naturally hand-in-hand.
Growth for the Mind
Psychology Today's Linda Wasmer Andrews encourages those in need of stress relief to head to the garden. The act of planting, weeding and spending time in nature is restorative and rejuvenating all on its own. Repeating a quiet mantra or humming a favorite tune will send stress levels down even further. Unless one is needed for safety or appointment-related reasons, leave your cell phone back at your apartment as well—the urge to check Facebook or respond to calls and texts will divert your attention away from the stress-relieving powers of blossoms and leaves.
Planting for Purpose
During the transition from working life to comfortable retirement, you may struggle to redefine your daily purpose: consulting a guide to retirement living would likely tell you to pick up a hobby just like gardening. Without a clock to punch or coworkers and family members depending on you, free time can occasionally feel just a little too free.
The cyclical nature of the garden—the need for water and fertilizer, weeding and planting—is a wonderful reminder to draw you back to the garden. While plants don't tend to need care more than once a day or so, making your watering or examination of your garden a daily chore can help reshape your sense of daily purpose. Inviting friends or loved ones over to see your garden will also motivate you to keep it healthy with careful watering and soil supplements.
Soak Up the Sun
A good garden requires at least a little physical effort from its caregiver—and that’s great news for your health. Even if you use gardening tools like portable benches or kneeling pads, just the simple motions required for garden upkeep will help keep your joints loose and limber. As you tend your garden, you'll also get a great dose of Vitamin D from the sun and lots of fresh air to keep you alert and focused; just be sure to wear appropriate sunblock if you'll be in the sun long enough to burn.
If the weather is cooperative, take your morning cup of coffee or tea or even a light picnic lunch right in the garden—the sounds of bird song and the scents of lovely flowers make excellent dining companions. If you have the room and ability to plant things like tomatoes or basil, you can even use your harvest to prepare fresh, flavorful meals that further boost your health.
Gardens Everywhere
Don't let the lack of a "classic" gardening space stop you from creating one. If the natural ground soil around your home is rocky and poor, buy a pre-built box garden and fill it with topsoil. If no yard is available, small planter box gardens or even countertop hydroponics gardens will still provide lush, green results. If you need to use one of these alternative methods, simply chat with your local garden center employee to determine which plants would thrive in the conditions you have available.
If you aren't sure what to do in your spare time, let your spirit and heart be your guide to retirement living. If you long to untangle the roots of a few perennials or watch the slow progression of seedlings, don't spend another plant-less moment: get into the garden! Start seeding, weeding and planning for your retirement community garden today.
