I carry a hoe around the garden. Not so much that I'm using it to kill weeds constantly (should be doing more of that ;o) but, rather, that it gives me something to lean on.

The hoe also helps me stand again if I need to squat down. The hoe I like has a very small blade and it stays out of the way a little better than a wider blade. I suppose, it would be almost as helpful to carry just a hoe handle.

Good luck with those knees, Chueh.

Steve's digits (and not his knees)

Thank you so much. I heard that gardening was hard work, but I never think that it is. It's so much fun, and it's addictive. I guess that we just have to know how to protect ourselves a little bit more. Gosh.......... I have gotten slight cuts on my fingers, I have been bitten by ants constantly with severe reactions(too many ants around), and I have had all sorts of pain afterward.

Wear gloves as much as you can.

I'm quite a believer in methyl salicylate, Chueh. The liniments available at the Asian markets are really nice. Wood Lock is a favorite (they should have a motto, "when if feels like you are locking up like wood . . ." ;o).

Acetylsalicylic acid is aspirin and I suppose these compounds all have somewhat similar properties but don't know. Aspercreme contains trolamine salicylate.

They all can help.

Steve

Hello chue...

We are very aware of how we move in the garden at our house because someone in the family has a back injury and has been to the Physical Therapist on numerous occasions. We were told that over half of the people that come in to the PT, have back injuries and a great number of those injured their back in the yard.

One of the cautions, which it sounds like you are aware of, is to use your knees and keep your back straight. Sounds like you do that so much though that your knees are suffering.

I am not sure why you have to move so much and can't kneel? Are you just in too much of a hurry? I ask because one of the suggestions the PT made to my husband was to kneel on one knee, which is usually the easiest on both knee and back and keep changing positions. We also have one of those rolling seats, which I use constantly. Maybe something like that would be of help?

Good luck :-)
pm2

Elevate everything you can:

Use a worktable for re-potting & such,
put your tools within easy reach, &
try not to put anything on the ground that you will need to pick up (shovels, rakes, even mulch & compost).

There may be some useful hints on the Accessible Gardening Forum.

I know you posted this last October, but maybe you're still watching for answers. I've got the best one.

Two years ago I almost had to stop gardening because my knees and other joints were so painful, and kneeling was out of the question. Mentioned this to helpful lady at Garden Center and she told me about Glucosamine. I checked it out at the pharmacy and my druggist recommended it highly, too.

It's an over the counter supplement, you can find it at your supermarket or drug store, Costco has it, so does Walmart. I get a combination Glucosamine/Chondroitin, take it two or three times a day

I am now a gardening fool! Kneeling and hand weeding is my favorite gardening activity and I can do it for an hour at a time now.

It can also help to get one of those benches that is a kneeling pad with handles so you can push yourself up, or turn it around and it's a little garden seat.

I hope you get this message, cause if you can't garden is life worth living???

I hope you are checking back to see the newest suggestions, all of which may help your situation. I have a couple more, one involves practicing medicine without a license! - if arthritis is the problem with your knees - ask your doctor if you are a candidate for Synvisc or Hyalagan injections. I've had them, (a flu shot hurts worse) and they have greatly helped. It's a fluid that replaces the synovial fluid in the joint that gets absorbed as we grow older. Six months relief is considred a success, and insurance companies will pay for them. Cheaper than surgery! Worth looking into.

Two summers ago, we made a "Square Foot Garden" and built two 3 ft.x 8 ft. boxes with 24 planting squares each, and one of them (it has a bottom on it) we placed on cinder blocks. I can plant,water and harvest standing up! It is small, so we do succession planting. You know it's my favorite spot. We plan on adding another this year. If you need more details just holler. I'll check back here. Dorothy