the pleasures

GARDENING when you have ur-
thritis can mean pain, fatigue, and
frustration.

The following hints from The
Arthritis Society can help to ease
stress and strain while gardening.

The fayout of the garden can
make taking care of it casier.

- Choose a size, place and shape that
gives you the best access.

Also, use raised beds for sitting
or standing in the garden comfar-
tably. Cut down work by garden-

21 - Friday, dune 20, 1980 - North Shere News

iet arthritis hinder

ing intensively in smaller, more
manageable arcas.

CONTAINER GARDENING

Hanging baskets are easy to
manage. Try container gardening.
using free standing containers rais-
ed to work level, for example
stacked tires, barrels, concrete
drain-pipe, metal drums, or sec-
tions of chimney flue, for planting.

Make. walking in your garden

easier by using ramps or gently
sloping paths instead of steps, or
put down strips of sturdy material
such as Astroturf.

Grow up, not out, with the help
of fences or trellises for climbing
plants. Extra sturdily built fences
and trellises can double as hand-
holds and seats.

Bring the garden indoors by us-
ing a bay window, porch, sunny
room or warm window
greenhouse.

Minimize lawn care by replacing
it with ground covers, paving
stones, patios or inorganic
mulching.

Replace flower beds with more
easily cared for shrubs, herbaceous
and perennial plants. Replace
flower borders with paved areas
for display of planted containers.

PLAN WISELY

Practise weed cemtrol. Mulch

of gardening

whenever possible. Use weed-
smothering ground cover.

Tools for the trade for arthritis
sufferers should include a low
stool to save bending (fit it with
wheels for better mobility), foam
rubber padding to make tools
easier to grip, a lightweight, two-
wheeled cart or wheelbarrow, seed
tapes for planting sceds and a
step-on bulb planter for tulips and
daffodils, a sprinkler sect up and
left in place.

‘OPEN’? DAYS: AWEEK
EST GEORGIA, VANCOUVER