DH helps a lot, but I doubt he will help plant things; he's got enough chores to do regardless of whether he would help with that - a case of being limited by time. I did hire out some work (grading the beds and adding mulch) but widening the beds, hardscaping, etc is budget-limited. We will set aside money for a landscape re-do, but that will be a couple years off before we save enough. In the meantime, I trying to make it as nice as I can with what I have to work with. A hot soak in the tub helped this morning after my walk, my hip isn't as ache-y and fatigued as it was earlier, so off I go to the veggie patch...

Haha, mxk3, I am soooooo the with you! I have a condition in all of my connective tissue, so I am continually tearing tendons, etc ... But there is no way I am stopping gardening...

Rest when you can, take hot baths, use naproxen or anti-inflammatories if your doc says it's appropriate, and hang in there.

Good luck if surgery is the answer!

I ended up spending most of the time outside today weeding the vegetable garden, which wasn't hard - tedious, but not hard on the hip. So I kinda sorta rested...?

As I have aged I have learned through somewhat painful experience to make an effort to not do one thing for more than a couple of hours unless the particular activity involves a lot of different motions. Just rotating what I do makes me able to work in the garden longer. I also take more frequent breaks to cool down and hydrate. So I would say that you did rest today since you did something that didn't use the hip in a way that would irritate it.

Regardless, whether you do need surgery or something else, wishing you quick healing. I will be eternally grateful to a PT who helped me get my knee back in functioning order over the past couple of years and therefore avoided surgery.

Ditto NHBabs' comments above. I do less work and more admiring my garden these days. It helps that my garden is amazing so I CAN admire it.

It just occurred to me that inflamation may not be the main problem....but I'll go ahead. My experience might help someone. Speaking from the experience of two knee replacements, a broken shoulder, and advancing arthritis in my hand/ (joints are a familial weakness),if you are agreeable and able to take anti inflamatories take them before going out. If the doc recommended icing, do it. Icing is a no-drug go-to treatment for inflammation and very effective. I have a recipe for making your own ice packs that cost pennies. If anyone wants it I'm glad to share it.

Triple affirmation for NH Babs recommendation for varying the activity, stopping before you get exhausted or really hurt; and taking frequent breaks to cool down, rehydrate and get some calories into yourself.

I hope some of these ideas bring some relief or at least let you garden a little longer with less pain.