While there’s lots of talk about how to upgrade your home for aging in place, there’s often little said about your home garden – and gardening is one of the most popular hobbies for older adults. The Edmonds Floretum Garden Club in their blog Planting Edmonds says to create your”golden garden” (aka your garden you’ll have during your retirement), you should start off with envisioning your future garden. First off, is it at your current residence or in another home?
Next, consider your wish list for this garden. How would you like to use it during your retirement: Would you like to enjoy visits from local wildlife, use it for entertaining guests, have space for a dog, or also include a space for growing your own veggies and fruit, for example. Balance these priorities with the budget you’ll be working with (which will play a factor in whether you’re planting it and maintaining its upkeep or if you’re hiring some help) and there may by physical limitations you may need to account for.
Planting Edmonds breaks it down your future retirement garden into four key components. First off, safety. Consider any stairs or paths and potential tripping hazards. Lighting is also a design and safety concern, as are handrails. When it comes to its design, you’ll want to avoid anything of a height you require a ladder for or garden beds that require a lot of squatting.
You also want to consider how adaptable your garden is. Your physical limitations may change as you grow older and you’ll want a space that can easily evolve as your needs and desires for your garden change over the years.
For more on developing your ideal retirement garden that you can age in place with, read more from Planting Edmonds here.
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