Posted in wrong forum...

Wrong why???

See old thread by ? luceal? on aging-friendly gardening, changing to shrubs, more places to sit, etc.

I don't think it's the wrong forum at all, or rather, if this is the wrong one I don't know what the right one would be.

It is germane to the issue that landscape is for people, not for houses and properties. That's why people who post just pictures of their properties without talking about their needs get little or no useful response here.

It's also germane to the contrast between landscaping and gardening. What I'm learning is that both take some work, but gardening takes more work on an ongoing basis. In addition, they produce different outcomes. Gardening gets you the spectacular high of late spring, which is just now where I live, but also some extended downs, which is most of the rest of the year. Landscaping, which is to say working with more static plants that have less seasonal variation, offers a steadier pleasure with perhaps neither extreme. In addition, landscaping is something you can hire out the maintenance of - it's harder to hire out gardening because it's so personal and consists of a lot of nitpicking.

So I think there are a couple of options to reduce your workload: one is to change what's in your beds, the other is to remove the beds and replace them with lawn - the extreme landscape alternative to gardening.

And yes, isn't it amazing to realize how much "more" less can be, when you've gone through years of obsessive plant acquisition only to find that the acquisitions are creating more headaches than they are generating pleasure.

I hope your health improves as you find the right amount of gardening for your needs.

KarinL

No, dee, you are not on the wrong Forum. Sometimes it takes a bit of thinking to phrase the right words and approach to some of these questions.

Over the years I have assisted customers in a project such as yours. Their reasons have been varied; creaking knees, overseas assignments, allergies and just becoming tired of endless garden chores.

My approach to the situation is to concentrate on the two sections of a property most important to the client's personal enjoyment. These would be front yard curb appeal and the garden view from the window over the kitchen sink or around the patio or deck in the rear. Figure out how to make those areas as maintenance free and limited in size as possible with some color and lots of texture, remove all other garden beds, retain shade trees and any shrubs that provide privacy, fill in bare spaces with lawn. It is a bit like spring house cleaning. Feels so good when you have finished and everything looks so clean. Despite the recent do-gooder proclamations to the contrary...it's okay to grow a lawn.

Yes, I have downsized my own landscape. I had a carpenter build a series of steps (freestanding, each four steps high, wide enough to hold large pots) which are placed against my deck railings. Hooked up a drip irrigation system on a timer. This gives me a large container growing space above munching deer and most insects. In this climate I can grow veggies/herbs/flowers all year and they are right at my finger tips out the back door. So easy. The same type of set-up could be constructed on a patio, placing sets of steps back to back for a pleasing look. It is possible to grow a great deal in limited space.

The same thing happened to my dad. He had always been a gardener (mostly vegetables), then developed cancer and just can't do what he used to. He now has those automatic watering planters for his tomatoes, etc., for landscaping he relies on the tried-and-true knockout roses and crepe myrtles, and has had to purchase a riding lawn mower. He even has an aero garden inside and loves it.
So, even though he has 'scaled down', he still gets much enjoyment from what he has, his place still looks good, and he still gets 'vine-ripened' tomatoes! :) Good luck with your health and the changes in your property.

As an afterthought, I figured maybe I should have posted in the Accessible Forum; but then I see it doesn't get much traffic...

Thanks for your comments and suggestions, everyone. : ) Without even realizing it, I did design the front yard so that it would be lower maintenance. 95% shrubs, now that I think about it; and I only plant in a few begonias (about now) for some colour. Actually, 75% of my whole garden is probably shrubs at this point. Too many shrubs. lol I took out a whole bed in the backyard over the last couple of days, that included a rhododendron (that never really looked all that hot anyway) and a couple other shrubs/quite a few shade perennials. Things are looking less cluttered, and much better.

The thing is, I don't think I could ever hire out someone to do my gardening (but I probably would if I had no choice). I'd have to let go of my perfectionist tendencies for sure. The most work is probably this time of year - the yearly mulching (only front and side yard now); the edging; the weeding. Then I find I can relax a bit. But, I have let go of some of those perfectionist tendencies I mentioned, and it's not as important that everything be just right. I don't think I could do it year 'round, though! lol

So far this year, I've taken out three beds. So, that has cut down on the amount of weeding, edging, (and trimming every time I mow), etc. that I have to do. I should be ok with the rest; but we'll see. : P

Thanks again, Dee