Wednesday, May 27, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Old gardeners just go to seed
By Susan Stafford
Correspondent
Backache slowing you
down? Arthritis flaring up?
Worry not. Pick up your rake
and head for the garden.
In the average lifetime,
one in every five Americans
will face either temporary
or permanent disability. The
ability to continue garden-
ing as accustomed is either
diminished or lost because of
illness, accident or advanc-
ing age. I’ve had two rotator
cuff repairs and I have arthri-
tis in my hands and one knee,
which directly impact my
ability to garden like I used
to.
Avid gardeners who are
challenged by a myriad of
physical problems now can
choose from a wide variety of
adaptive and assistive tools to
ease the aches and pains that
come with gardening as we
age. Many of these tools are
readily available online, by
mail order or locally. With a
few minor adaptations, you
can convert your existing
tools into more user-friendly
equipment.
The most important con-
sideration is for comfort and
ease of use choosing your
tools. Provide a place for
tool storage that is close to
the garden or use a wheeled
tool-storage cart. An old mail-
box creatively decorated and
placed in the garden is great
for holding trowels, pruners,
weeders and other small tools
and supplies.
Use tools that make tasks
easier and provide the least
amount of stress on body
parts. Modify your current
favorite tools by building up
handles to make them fatter
and easier to grip. The addi-
tion of bicycle grips, foam, or
pipe insulation wrap works
really well. Longer handles
can provide extended reach.
One DIY method is to heat
the appropriate length and
diameter of PVC pipe to 235
degrees in the oven. Slide
the pipe onto the handle of
your tool and gently squeeze
to create a firm grip. (BE
CAREFUL – pipe will be
hot.)
Small, lightweight tools
made of plastic, resin and alu-
minum, and child-sized hoes,
rakes and trowels are lighter
for weeding, working the soil
and digging small holes. All
tools and adaptations need to
be safe to use. The finished
product should be free of any
rough edges or seams that
potentially could cause a sore
or blister from extensive use.
A lightweight plastic
cart with two, three, or four
wheels is more stable than a
heavy metal wheel barrow
with one front wheel. Plastic
watering cans with long
spouts and well-balanced
handles are better than heavy
metal cans. Lightweight
hoses and hose carriers with
wheels make watering easier.
Snap-on nozzles are easier to
use than ones that need to be
screwed on.
Before beginning garden-
ing, do stretching to warm
up muscles and take an anti-
inflammatory before gar-
dening to ward off potential
swelling and soreness. Apply
good hand cream and wear
gloves. Change your position
and activity often. Start well-
hydrated and drink water fre-
quently. Use sunscreen/pro-
tective clothing/hat to avoid
sunburn. Take regular rest
breaks and you will be able
to garden longer. Use a chair,
stool, kneeler, knee pads or
rolling cart. Use proper lifting
techniques.
15
Master gardeners
host plant sale
The Central Oregon
Master Gardener Association
will hold their annual plant
sale on June 6, from 9 a.m. to
2 p.m.
This is the first year that
the plant sale is being held
at the OSU Extension Office
on the Deschutes County
Fairgrounds near parking
lot D.
The master gardeners will
be selling vegetable plants
grown in Central Oregon that
will thrive in our difficult
growing conditions. There
will be nine varieties of toma-
toes as well as peppers, basil,
chard and kale. They will
also have for sale bearded iris
from Schreiners’ Iris Garden
in Salem that were grown and
divided by master gardeners
right here in Central Oregon.
There are 11 beautiful hybrids
for sale.
Master gardeners will
be available to answer your
questions and to demonstrate
the proper way to plant a
tomato plant and how to plant
iris. Many handouts will be
available including informa-
tion on hardening off your
plants prior to planting in the
garden, etc.
Other activities will be
going on during the sale
which will make for a fun and
educational day. Vendors will
be selling flower plants and
yard art items.
Learn all about season
extenders and how much
they can help here in Central
Oregon. Row cover and soil
thermometers will be for sale
also.
Proceeds support pro-
grams in the tri-county area.
The mission of the Central
Oregon Master Gardener
Association is to:
• Teach sustainable gar-
dening practices which have
their foundation in research-
based information.
• Support the OSU hor-
ticulture program in Crook,
Deschutes, and Jefferson
Counties.
• Promote the OSU
Extension Service Master
Gardener program in Central
Oregon and statewide.
The Master Gardener pro-
gram has trained hundreds of
volunteers.
LOCAL FIR MIX DYED
IN MULTIPLE COLORS!
Also: Sliverless
Hemlock Bark Mulch!
Come take a look!
Sister s Rental
When spring rolls around and it’s time to get your
landscape in shape, folks in Sisters Country turn to
Sisters Rental. They have the tools and equipment
to get the job done safely, efficiently, and effectively.
Sisters Rental also has bulk materials — bark, dirt,
and gravel — for your landscaping projects. They also
carry base sand and top-coat sand for laying pavers.
They’ll be stocking bulk BioFine® top-coat for
lawns and compost for your yard and landscape. These
products are from recycled lawn trimmings with no
additives, supplied locally by High Country Disposal.
They’ll also have the equipment to apply the materials.
Sisters Rental is an Elite STIHL® dealer, carry-
ing products from chainsaws to blowers to safety
equipment.
Their gold certified technicians are the best around
for repairing your equipment.
So whether you need to rent equipment, get your
equipment repaired and serviced for the season, or
buy materials for your projects, Sisters Rental is your
headquarters.
541-549-9631
506 N. Pine St. • www.SistersRental.com
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