“What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.” -

Charles Dudley Warner, My Summer in a Garden, 1871

If you spend a day in the garden and find yourself barely moving afterwards, this article is for you.

Like many of you, I’m a gardener with a willing spirit, but a body that has had its share of “hard knocks.” After bending, kneeling, shoveling, raking and sweeping, my body says, “Enough!”

If a day in the garden finds you limping, moaning or feeling otherwise incapacitated, it’s time for an ergonomic assist. There are a number of companies that make gardening tools that are designed to work with our bodies to make gardening easier.

My favorite is a combination kneeler and seat, padded with foam to support your knees with sturdy handles to help you get up again. If your back hurts from basic gardening tasks like hoeing and raking, try using swan-neck tools, which are designed for use standing up. These ergonomically designed tools reduce the strain on your back by keeping it straight as you work.

Curved handles on hand tools prevent your wrists from contorting into unnatural and potentially harmful angles, thus reducing strain and injuries while gardening. Available for cultivators, trowels and weeders, these tools are made with non-slip handles and lightweight materials.

Round handles on spades and garden forks also eliminate stress points between elbows and wrists, while hand and arm supports will minimize wrist strain and are available on a trowel, fork and cultivator.

I recommend container gardening or permanent raised beds for everyone who has trouble squatting, kneeling or bending.

If you love tomatoes, but find you can no longer weed and harvest them from a standing position without getting a backache, try using a “Tomato Trolley.” The trolley elevates plants to a height of 28 inches, which allows you to comfortably tend and harvest from a seated position. A number of companies now make a hanging tomato planter that brings the crop to a comfortable level for harvesting.

One clever way to get the most from your existing tools without incurring the risk of repetitive injury is to retrofit them with neoprene and nylon grips; these grips can be attached with Velcro to both long- and D-handled tools to reduce shock and vibration while preventing the tool from slipping.

The tools mentioned in this article are available online at www.gardeners.com and www.lifewithease.com/garden.html.
Happy Gardening!

Laurie Keit has been designing residential gardens since 2001 through her company, Seasonal Celebrations. An 18-year Pacifica resident, Keit may be contacted at 650-722-0091 or by e-mail at keit@sbcglobal.net.