When Spring comes around, many of us are starting to think about our gardens for the new season. But achieving a well-kept garden comes at a price, with aches and pains at the end of the day seeming inevitable for many, especially those who suffer from conditions such as backache or arthritis. This raises important questions for ergonomists: is there a way to design, choose or use tools that will alleviate this downside of gardening, and are there techniques that we can use to reduce musculoskeletal strains?
The remarkable thing about the best garden tools is that they are often based on old traditional designs that have endured, since they do the job better than anything else. The most important attribute to look for in a garden tool is suitability for purpose. Regardless of how attractive a tool is, it must be able to do the job and be comfortable to use. This is essential for professional gardeners, for whom a spade, fork or trowel is in constant daily use and like an extended limb. But it is just as crucial for the domestic gardener, where an uncomfortable tool, used infrequently, and not fitting their size and strength, can lead to sprains, strains, blisters and pinched fingers.
Several manufacturers now produce traditional tools including spades, forks and rakes with longer handles than usual. As they allow you to maintain a much more upright posture, they alleviate pressure on the spine and create a lot more digging power by creating a longer lever to work with. Some garden forks are designed with flattened tines (prongs), rather than rounded or square, which help to turn the soil more effectively. Bulb planters, traditionally with a cylindrical head and a short handle are now available with long handles allowing bulbs to be planted more easily and quickly. Dandelion grabbers can also have extended handles giving more leverage. A keen edge to a tool such as a spade, trowel or lawn edging implement also eases the workload significantly.
Another problem is the tendency to twist your hand or wrist to an awkward angle when pruning or weeding which might aggravate a disorder such as carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis. Garden tools such as scissors and pruners with special pliable handles that mould to the shape of the hand are available for people with painful or arthritic joints. They are ideal for prolonged use or on harder tasks. Using secateurs that fit the size and strength of your hand will allow you to expend less effort. A long reach fork, used with an arm support cuff keeps your hand and wrist in a neutral position and improves comfort and control. A good general rule is not to bend your back when lifting and carrying items such as tubs and containers or bags of compost; use the strength in your legs by bending your knees, or better still use a small trolley to move things around.
But what can you do in terms of posture and behaviour to help avoid backache when digging? Based on recommendations by Which? magazine, a simple procedure is shown in the box below left. Lengthy periods of digging can exacerbate aches and pains and cause muscular fatigue so stretch your back, legs and arms regularly and only dig continuously for up to 10 minutes before taking a break.
Aching backs or knees can be avoided by placing gardening work at a comfortable height. Use a bench or table somewhere around hip or waist height to stop you having to bend when taking cuttings, watering and potting. Plant in raised beds or use a solid base of bricks or paving slabs to raise pots and containers. If you can arrange things conveniently and comfortably, some tasks like seeding, potting and pruning can be done sitting down!
Another useful tip is to raise yourself so that higher work is below shoulder level, by standing on a raised but stable platform. If working above shoulder level such as when pruning trees, perform the task for no more than five minutes without a break. This may be common sense but it is easy to overdo things. Take plenty of breaks and drink lots of water in hot weather.
It is tempting to fill a watering can to the brim and then lug it around the garden, so only part fill it to ease the load or if that’s all you need. Many gardeners are conscious of the need to conserve water. Plants with lower water needs include alyssum, aubrietia, ice plant, wall flowers, lambs ear, catmint, lavender, broom, and rock rose. Trees that like dry conditions are the Russian olive, Strawberry tree, Judas tree, Bird cherry and the Cockspur thorn, a type of hawthorn.
Other general water-saving tips are to ensure that flower beds are level after planting to prevent water run-off, use water-storing granules in pots and tubs, and dig a basin around trees and shrubs to collect water. Hoeing stimulates the growth of plants, reduces water loss from the soil surface and removes weeds that take up valuable water and nutrients. Collecting rain water from the guttering in a butt provides a good source with which to water the plants naturally.
There is much advice available for the design of accessible gardens for people with disabilities. The bed of the garden may be raised while the pathways to the garden should be smooth and not slippery. Handrails and ramps also prove useful for gardeners in wheelchairs and those with visual disabilities.
Among many websites selling garden tools, Able Gardener specialises in assisting less able gardeners by offering a range of robust, lightweight gardening implements, including Easi-Grip tools. Visit www.ablegardener.co.uk. Fiskars gardening tools are engineered to be powerful, lightweight and comfortable to use. Visit www.fiskarsgarden.co.uk.
It’s also important to remember that there are wider benefits from gardening in terms of the exercise and pleasure that it brings. Digging the soil over or taking up weeds helps to relieve stress, and later admiring the outcome of your efforts gives you a positive feeling. Gardening is also a process of gradual change, so don’t try and do it all in one go. If there is a lot to be done, use the idea of ‘psychological closure’ and concentrate on one small job in each gardening session. You’ll soon see the progress you’ve made in a few days and can then stand back and admire your hard work.
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