Tag Archives: arthritis gardening

Getting Back to Gardening

By Dina Pittman, a gardening enthusiast with OA who describes herself as “too stubborn to give in when pain persists,” on her website, www.disabledgardener.com

Ten years ago, when I was finally able to purchase my dream property and expand my gardening space from a typical suburban plot to a 1.5-acre wooded lot, I thought my greatest challenge would be gardening in the shade.

But it turned out to be chronic pain! Continue reading Getting Back to Gardening

arthritis-friendly gardening hacks

Gardening Hacks

Love fall gardening, but find it painful with arthritis? Try these hacks to avoid straining joints.

If You Can’t Crouch Down

Hack: Go vertical. Wall gardens are easy to tend while you’re standing or sitting up. Buy one ready-made or make your own by hanging plastic pots on a wall. “Keep the plants between waist and shoulder height,” says Julia Henderson-Kalb, an occupational therapist at Saint Louis University in Missouri. 

Continue reading Gardening Hacks

air plants gardening with arthritis

Make Gardening a Breeze With Air Plants

Springtime brings out the gardener in us all. But it can be tough on the joints. Air plant gardening requires no shovel, no soil, no watering can, but the results can be spectacular. Just ask Carolyn Kosanouvong-Walker of Fresno, California, who began air plant gardening as a creative way to ease stress and take her mind off the pain of her juvenile arthritis.

“What I love about air plants is that they are simple to manage and come in different sizes and types,” says Kosanouvong-Walker, 45, who was diagnosed at age 3.

Continue reading Make Gardening a Breeze With Air Plants