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What activity do you refuse to give up? How do you adapt to age?
I spent the afternoon in my favorite place - my yard and garden. I have gardened since the age of 9, had my own gardens for 54 years, been a Master Gardener volunteer for over 20 years and in two very different climates. I'm not "old" at 74 but I have a lot challenges with arthritis, bad shoulders, bad lungs, occasional vertigo...
While "removing winter" and preparing for the new season, I thought a lot about how to simplify 8 very different garden beds so I can manage them going forward.
Here are my ideas so far:
Simplify:
Replace annuals with tough perennials and attractive ground covers. Replace aggressive perennials with low-care shrubs.
Replace high-maintenance plants like roses with natives and other easy-care plants.
Use natural mulch and ground covers to keep weeds down, instead of wood chips that need to be replaced often.
Adapt:
Use mulch, Preen and ground cover to reduce weeds.
Hire help for the heavy work, and for intense seasonal tasks like "putting the gardens to bed." Even once or twice a year is a big help.
Put heavy patio pots on wheels for ease in moving.
Reduce:
Smaller gardens. A few vegetables in pots instead of a big garden (after all, you can get produce to can or freeze at the local Farmers' Market and support small businesses.)
Shrubs, decorations and landscape rocks in place of dozens or hundreds of plants.
Plant an "esy care" lawn rich in native clover or other ground cover and tough low-need, low-growing grasses.
Automate:
Irrigate with drip lines set on timers, or and irrigation system. The initial investment pays off over time.
What is your favorite activity, and how can you adapt as you go forward?
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On Tue, May 27, 2025 at 10:49 AM Mayo Clinic Connect < nf+583e615d+54441175@n1.hubapplication.com> wrote:
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> to a comment you posted on discussion "What activity do you refuse to give
> up? How do you adapt to age?"
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> *Excerpt of your comment*
> I’m about to turn 86 and am caring for my 94 year old husband who has...
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> Live for today, for we are not promised tomorrow. Some days, you will
> amaze yourself; other days, you will look for your phone while you're
> talking on it. Life goes on. God bless you.
> VIEW & REPLY
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> so true and definitely describes me too. Thanks
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I am 65 and have been debating whether or not I should continue riding my motorcycle. I still enjoy it and while I've made adjustments i don't feel like I've slowed down reflex wise, enough to stop!
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2 ReactionsBe careful
Check with your physician
If you are not confident in your skills riding. It may be time to stop. Just a thought
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2 Reactions@therev1959 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! My husband turned 70 this year, and has asked himself the same questions. He has over 500,000 miles on motorcycles, and in fact leaves in a couple days for a 5 day camping trip, pulling his tent trailer behind his Goldwing!
Many older folk morph to a trike setup, to gain more confidence and stability. Factors to take into consideration is your general health, any medications you're taking, safety issues. Here is a link with some good points to consider: https://www.mcrider.com/all-older-riders-lose-this-how-it-affects-your-safety-on-a-motorcycle/
My husband has his Goldwing, plus a CanAm Ryker Rally [3 wheel] and a Suzuki V-Strom 850 dual sport. Getting enjoyment from your motorcycle riding is one way to stay young!
Ginger
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5 ReactionsI wish I could do that which sounds like all the gardening I ever did, even in my prime. But after a bad fall and with 3 pins in my hip, I had to give up standing on one leg to use a spade. And so, welcome to container gardening. Or planting in pots. Last summer I was sitting on my deck, surrounded by pots, feeling sorry for myself, missing my ‘real’ garden and watching a daddy long legs. Then a hummingbird came to sample the heucheras and as I got up I almost stepped on a leaf which hopped, a baby toad. Not perhaps the Garden of Eden, but welcome home to my new real garden.
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12 ReactionsMy Mom progressed from gardening in the ground to raised gardens to watching me do the work to gardening on her windowsill. If you love it, you love it!
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3 ReactionsI've given employment to a younger woman, now in her 40s, who after a nasty divorce needs all the funds she can get to help put two of her three children through college. One is already out abd working but still living at home. She works full time at another job and helps me late afternoons. She enjoys the gardening and I appreciate having someone here who can reach the ground. Occasionally she'll trim a shrub thinking it is a weed, especially if it loses its leaves in the winter and doesn't bud out as early as most in the spring, but she has been a wonderful help. Her work helps me stay in my home.
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7 ReactionsYou are an inspiration! God Bless.
I currently ride a 2018 Triumph Bonneville T120. Im thinking of downsizing to a Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 when they finally come stateside. Not on meds, but really think a lighter bike would be easier to handle.
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4 Reactions@therev1959 Hubby left this morning riding his 2001 Goldwing 1800 [has 200K+ miles on it!] pulling his tent trailer. I do know he takes more frequent breaks nowadays when riding long distances. The idea of a lighter bike is a good one, and knowing our limitations and how our reactions change as we grow "more golden" is knowing ourselves. This goes for anything, I believe.
Reading what others have mentioned about gardening, downsizing to raised beds or container gardens, has helped remind me I can go in that direction! My raised beds went fallow for several years, and last week I scattered wildflower seeds in them to see if I can manage that this year. Maybe next year it will be some veggies.
An activity that stays foremost in my mind is hoping to get out there and walk. It engages all the senses.
Ginger
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12 Reactions