How to Start a Garden 101: A Guide for Older Adults

Protect yourself

You’re exposed to the elements when you spend time in the garden, so cover your skin with protective clothing. “Wear a wide-brimmed hat that shades your ears and the back of your neck, as well as your face,” says Pancoast. And use long-sleeved shirts and long pants to protect yourself, he adds. Most cases of skin cancer occur in people 65 years and older, with the biggest risk factor being too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Wear sunglasses because the sun’s rays can exacerbate cataracts and age-related macular degeneration,” Pancoast says.

Minimize sun exposure by working in the garden in the morning or late afternoon, when the sun is less intense, and in one- or two-hour spurts. “Don’t work during the middle part of the day — maybe go out in the morning, work for an hour and take part of the day off and come back in the [late] afternoon [to] work for an hour,” says Nardozzi.

Be aware of your energy levels and adapt your practice to your physical needs — a philosophy called “adaptive gardening.” Take care of your body by keeping work periods short. “In adaptive gardening, we recommend that gardeners alternate work periods and rest periods,” says Pancoast. Determine what you’re comfortable with for a work period, whether that’s 20 minutes, a half hour, three-quarters of an hour or an hour, and after that, take a rest and stay hydrated, he says.

Find the best location for you and your plants 

Knowing what plants you want to grow is the first step in choosing a location. Many plants need plenty of sun. A garden planted in a shady area will be limited to what you can grow, such as greens and root crops, says Nardozzi, who also hosts a radio show on gardening. He says that most of the fruiting vegetables — anything that forms a fruit — need at least six to eight hours of sun per day. Vegetables you eat the leaves or the buds of, such as broccoli, and root crops can usually get away with three to four hours of sun.

For gardens that don’t get much sun, there are more options for flower varieties that can grow without a lot of it. Hostas do well in a shady backyard, Pancoast says. Place the garden near the house so you see it daily, especially if you want to take care of it regularly, says Nardozzi. That way, you’re more likely to stop, take a mental note, come back and water the plants, he says. Plus, you don’t have to walk as far, adds Pancoast.

Start small and work your way up

Opting for a big garden may be tempting, but experts recommend starting small to figure out how much work you can manage. Choose a size as big as you can tend, advises Pancoast. “The whole idea is to work smarter instead of harder,” he says. Once you figure out how much you’re able to realistically manage, you can expand. “You can always add more beds, more containers, but start small and be successful at it,” says Nardozzi. “Have some fun because that’s why you’re doing it.”

Get some basic materials and tools that work for you

Starting a home garden requires minimal materials — soil, compost, seeds or seedlings, elevated beds or containers, made of plastic or terracotta. Plastic pots are lighter to carry when moving them, Pancoast says. Nardozzi also recommends using hanging baskets so you can stay vertical as much as possible instead of bending over to tend your plants. Opt for a garden kneeler to protect your knees and make it easier to stand up. “A garden kneeler is basically a nice, soft pad you can kneel on, but it’s embedded in a metal frame that has two U-shaped bars on either side of it,” says Nardozzi. “If you are getting down low — digging, cultivating and weeding — you can use your upper-body strength to push yourself up.” The kneeler also converts into a chair, he adds.

Use ergonomic tools, such as a rake or shovel that’s designed so you don’t have to bend over as much, allowing you to stand up straighter and use more of your core muscles, says Nardozzi. 

Gardening pros prefer purchasing seedlings and other transplants because there is a better chance of success. “Seedlings are going to be much easier to work with because you’ve got a plant that’s already growing well — you can just pop it in the ground,” says Nardozzi.

Seeds take more time and patience to grow. Sowing seeds is less expensive, but you’ll need to know when and how to plant them, adds Nardozzi. Pancoast also prefers purchasing seedlings so you don’t have to wait for seeds to come up or worry about birds or squirrels eating them. And there’s always the chance that you can do everything right and the seeds don’t germinate or do well and you’ll have to replant, adds Nardozzi.

It’s all about the soil

Planting a garden in containers or beds requires soil. Nardozzi likes to create a “lasagna” garden, also known as a “no-dig” garden. This technique covers the base soil and then adds layers, like a lasagna, of organic materials, and then tops it with compost to serve as a basic bed. The soil type underneath — clay, sand or rocky — doesn’t matter, he says. Instead of digging into the soil, “you can build a healthy soil on top of it, which is going to allow your plants to grow much faster, be much healthier and be a lot less effort than trying to amend a clay soil, for example,” says Nardozzi. Each year, all you have to do is add more organic material and some compost. 

Some people may prefer to purchase soil as an easier option, especially if they’re growing only in containers or small raised beds. For garden beds, purchase soil that is a mix of compost and topsoil. “I tell people, 60 percent topsoil, 40 percent compost in the [garden] bed is a good way to start,” says Nardozzi. If you’re growing in containers, use a potting mix, he adds.