Gardening with Arthritis

John Adney is a former horticulturist from Iowa. He had to give up his profession due to arthritis. Now he teaches gardening classes for people with disabilities and volunteers with the pastoral care department of a local hospital, specializing in working with people struck by arthritis and other disabling medical conditions. Let's listen to the interview I had with this gentleman.

How does your disability affect your gardening?

Arthritis struck four years go. Three years ago I had my first hip replacement (right side). The other hip was replaced two years ago this November. Arthritis forced me to give up my work as a horticulturist and I'm now on disability. Gardening remains my chief interest. I do many of the things I used to do, but much slower and with great care so I don't damage anything. I can't bend over hardly at all, but I can crawl once I get down. My disability has mainly slowed me in what I can do; I still have choices, though I fear they will diminish as the arthritis spreads (it is).

What special tools have you found that help you overcome your limitations?

The best tool I have is a kneeling bench. It goes with me everywhere in the perennial and vegetable gardens. It was given to me two years ago by my wife Pat, a nurse. She also gave me a weed removal tool that I can use standing up; it works great, and I don't have to bend over.

Has this limitation to gardening had a psychological affect on you?

Most definitely, especially at first. Now I've accepted the constraints arthritis places on my gardening and other interests. I look upon it as a challenge, one that I cannot beat but at least contend and compete with. I was depressed at first, then angry because I couldn't do all the things I used to do. Walking is difficult some days. Lifting and even sitting are problems. Rather than feeling sorry for myself, I've learned to live with the problems.

How have you changed your gardening to overcome the difficulties?

I accept the fact that I will not get things done as quickly or as easily as before. My gardening routine involves 10- to 20-minute spurts of activity, depending on how I feel, including the levels of pain and stiffness. If I'm feeling pretty good, I can go about 20 minutes before I need a rest of 3 to 5 minutes. I use this time to sip a cup of coffee or glass of ice tea and celebrate what I've accomplished and ponder what more I can do. Then I'm on and in the ground again.

In addition, I'm becoming involved with container gardening as my ability to care for perennial borders lessens. I created this past spring a 15x6 garden just for containers. This new garden is covered by weed barrier cloth topped with an inch or so of wood chips. It's in a semi-shaded location. Containers have plants such as semperflorens begonias (doubles, singles, variegated); impatiens (doubles, singles, variegated); and various types of ivy. The sunnier side has containers of pelargoniums (geraniums) with unusual bloom and leaf colors. A few cacti in containers also are in the sunny area. The begonias and impatiens will be repotted this fall and taken indoors to grow under lights in a basement plant room I created with the help of a friend (little lifting or bending required here!). I'll take cuttings and have more plants for containers next spring.

What advice would you give to another gardener that developed the same condition that changed your gardening style?

Go for it! Unless you're totally disabled, you don't have to give up gardening. You'll have to slow down and curtail activities, but don't give up! Container growing is a wonderful way to garden with less effort. Find special gardening tools that will aid you. Let your creative juices flow in designing container gardens. Take gardening indoors by raising houseplants. Above all, keep mind and body active.

John, I really appreciate your sharing this with my readers. These are encouraging words from someone who understands what happens when people develop disabilities and have to change their daily routines to accommodate new limitations. Thank you for sharing.