Garden for Your Future

When designing your garden, it's crucial to look beyond immediate improvements and consider how the space can evolve with your changing needs over time. Many clients initially focus on creating gardens for their children's outdoor play, but often find themselves unsure of how to adapt once the kids have outgrown football and trampolines, or moved away.

Gardens, like their owners, change over time. Many discover a newfound passion for gardening later in life, either due to increased free time or the therapeutic benefits it offers. However, this love for gardening often arrives just as our bodies become less flexible, making it challenging to navigate steps, bend, or handle heavy loads.

Colour in the garden brightens up your day and raised beds make plant maintenance easier.

I asked Jane Parslow, partner in Retirement Pathways for opinion. Here is her view:

It’s important to recognise that retirement comes in phases, and you should be planning your garden to take that into account.

During the first phase you may be healthy and fit, and keen to use your new-found spare time to do more in the garden. You may also want to re-design your garden or do all the jobs you’ve never had time for.

It’s not only easy to overdo it physically now, but you should also be aware that once the first enthusiasm has died down, you will need to be maintaining the garden. In this second phase, you may well have found other activities such as voluntary work or taking care of grandchildren and will probably have less time for the garden. You should bear all this in mind for any new garden design.

In the third phase of retirement you will possibly be losing your fitness and health and Agata’s tips will really come into play. Your garden will now be a place to rest in and enjoy rather than work in. You can reap the rewards of earlier good planning.

So, how can we prepare our gardens to accommodate these changing needs? Here are five key elements to consider when planning a comfortable garden for the future.

1.        Access

Let's begin with access. Minimising obstructions, gaps, and thresholds is crucial for future-proofing your garden and accommodating potential mobility limitations. Anatomically, the most comfortable step is about 18 cm high and 15-30 cm deep. Steps lower than this can pose a trip hazard, while higher steps may cause discomfort.

For wheelchair or zimmer frame access, ensure your paths are at least 90 cm wide. Incorporating gentle slopes will make the garden accessible without appearing overly "adapted." It's important that these slopes are gradual enough to comfortably navigate with a walking aid or wheelchair.

2.        Heights

Raised beds are a fantastic way to make gardening easier. They eliminate the need for digging, which is a benefit in itself. Choosing the ideal height is crucial. A height of 50 cm provides perfect perching opportunity, allowing you to add a comfortable bench, which is space-saving in smaller gardens. This height also works well for wheelchair users who enjoy light gardening tasks.

For those keen on growing vegetables or seasonal flowers, which are more labour-intensive, I recommend increasing the height to at least 90 cm. This allows for comfortable bending, reducing lower back strain and making a significant difference in ease of use.

3.        Sight and smell

Introducing evergreen plants with vibrant blooms and captivating scents can greatly enhance the garden experience, particularly as eyesight may weaken with age. Since our sense of smell often remains sharp, fragrant plants add an additional layer of enjoyment to the garden.

It’s important to take note of potential hazards when selecting plants. Always check for toxicity, as certain species can be harmful when handled. The RHS Plant Finder is an excellent resource, providing comprehensive information on nearly every plant available for purchase in the UK. For example, Euphorbia should be avoided due to its toxic sap, which can cause permanent damage to eyesight upon contact. Therefore, this plant is best avoided in gardens where gardeners may have impaired vision.

4.        Shade

Incorporating flexible shade and a cosy seating area can transform an ordinary space into something truly magical. As global temperatures rise, shade has become a precious commodity, and south-facing gardens can often feel overwhelming when it gets too hot. Planting a few trees provides a welcome respite during heatwaves, with studies showing that the temperature difference between sun-exposed pavement and shaded areas under trees can reach up to 15 degrees Celsius!

Moreover, during the British rainy season, which can last for 5-6 months, trees play a vital role in absorbing excess moisture and helping to prevent flooding. By enhancing your garden with shade and seating, you're not only improving comfort but also contributing to a healthier outdoor environment.

Louvered pergola will provide shade on hotter days.

5.        Smart Gadgets

Supporting nature and habitats doesn’t mean we have to forgo smart technology.

An automated watering system for your flower beds can save your back and wrists while ensuring efficient water use, as it can operate in the middle of the night to minimise evaporation and is exempt from frequent hosepipe bans. Additionally, a smart water pump can tend to your garden while you’re away, and a moisture sensor can detect rainfall, automatically switching off the system when it’s not needed.

Another increasingly popular gadget is the robotic lawn mower. With smaller models becoming more affordable, they are now a sensible choice even for smaller gardens. Your lawn will remain immaculate, resembling the finest carpet, as these mowers cut grass daily, with the pulverised clippings naturally fertilising the lawn, eliminating the need for post-mowing tidy-up.

Automated lighting—either with light sensors or app-controlled timers—ensures you can enjoy your garden long into the evening, enhancing your outdoor experience.

Special thanks for valuable input for this article to Jane Parslow, Retirement Planning Partner,

www.RetirementPathways.co.uk

Well designed garden for the elderly customer features easy to reach raised beds, comfortable seating area with flexible shade and lots of scent and and colour.