Here's The 8 Best Gardening Tools For Seniors

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Elderly gardening tools

Although a gardening tool is really just a gardening tool, there are certain brands/styles that just make life easier for those with swollen or arthritic hands or mobility issues. Fortunately, there really are best gardening tools for seniors out there. These products have been made with our senior citizens in mind.

While this list is not an extensive one, it does include the most needed gardening tools for the elderly to work their garden safely and pain free. You will also see there are some handy, long handled garden tools for the elderly as well. This will be beneficial for those who cannot bend over or stoop down any longer.

All of the items below make great gift ideas for senior women and men!

Best Gardening Tools for Seniors

Pruning Shears

One of the most important elderly gardening tools you will need is a solid pair of pruning shears. They should be high quality, sharp and easy to handle. If not, they can give you a lot of problems in the future and may even deter the newbie gardener from continuing on.

A good pair of pruning shears means they will last longer, make cleaner cuts and keep you from inadvertently tearing your plants.

There are two types of pruners out there. One is the anvil cut and the other is scissors action. The anvil style has a flat, steel plate that the blade cuts down on to. Think of cutting your carrots on a cutting board.

The scissors action pruner has a hooked edge that will hold the branch or stem while you cut. This style is the most popular with professional gardeners.

There are long handled pruners as well. You can cut larger branches with these. Both blade styles mentioned previously are available. These have to be operated with both hands as you will need some leverage to make a cut.

Good pruning shears will reduce the labor required to trim your plants and trees. They will also ensure you do not accidentally damage your plants.

Extra Comfortable Professional Pruning Shears 8″ Ergonomic Handles. Steel Blade.Pruning Shears Comfortable, Non-slip Handle -Perfect for women or small hands Long Handled Pruning Shears Handgrips. For Gardeners With Hand Weakness.Extendable, Ergonomic, Hedge Shear with 8 3/16 inches Wavy Blade Shock Absorbing

Garden Scissors

A good pair of stainless steel garden scissors are also a gardening tool necessity. They are great for removing small twigs, flowers, and leaves from your plants. Pruning shears don’t always cut these away so nicely. Additionally, the scissors are oftentimes slender enough to reach between the stems of your smaller plants.

One good example is deadheading which is the process of removing dead flowers off stems. They can also cut herbs, soft-stemmed plants, and thin out your perennials. It is always good to have a quality pair of scissors in your garden tool arsenal.

Happy Hydro – Professional Light Weight Curved Tip Trimming Scissors/Gardening Snips Zenport ZS109B Ergonomic Bent Handle Deluxe Bud Trimming Scissors for Garden, Fruits and Grapes, 6.5-Inch

Garden Shovel

You might be surprised at how often you will need to rely on that shovel to prep your land for gardening! In addition to the garden shears and scissors, a lightweight, ergonomic shovel is totally the way to go. Several brands sell a senior and disabled friendly shovel. They do tend to be smaller and lighter in weight, with a handle that has a good grip. The style should reduce your overall pain while allowing you to garden, regardless of what physical conditions you may have.

Radius Garden 202 PRO Ergonomic Stainless Steel Shovel. Room for both hands.Ergonomic Square Point Shovel w/360-degree Rotating Center Handle

Bow Rake and Leaf Rake

There are a couple styles of rakes I recommend when you first start gardening. The first type is a bow rake, which helps you to level out soil when you first start planting. It will help you with tasks such as removing heavy debris, leveling out your compost pile, and spreading mulch in your garden area. This style is more of a heavy-duty rake. The second rake which will come in handy is the lightweight leaf rake. This will help you clean an area of grass clippings and leaves.

The manufacturers have gotten pretty clever with their ergonomically-friendly rake designs. Some rakes have extra handles that fit the natural action of the wrist better. Some have created a scoop out of the rake to help you pick up your leaves easier.

Amazing Rake 3-IN-1 Yellow Ergonomic Lightweight Pickup Yard Tool The HEFT Garden – Ergonomic Back-saving Multi-tool Auxiliary Handle

Gardening tools elderly

Garden Spade

A spade is a long-handled gardening tool for digging narrow holes in your garden. i.e. Think of when you need to plant seedlings. When you are preparing your garden area for planting herbs or vegetables, this tool will come in very handy. Choose a high-quality metal spade as the lightweight ones don’t hold up very well when battling compacted or clay soil.

Radius Garden 201 PRO Ergonomic Stainless Steel Spade Spear Head Spade – Reinforced, with w/Cushioned Handle 4-Piece Ergonomic Gardening Hand Tool Set

Water Wand

Our garden will NOT grow without water so we need to find a way to water without pain and discomfort. This is where a water wand comes in handy. You can attach these to your hose and the long handle (sometimes you can get one that is telescoping) will allow you to easily water your hanging plants or those that are hard to reach.

The ergonomic wands have a hand friendly grip or ergonomic squeeze trigger.

EasyGo Telescopic Watering Wand Telescopes from 24 The Relaxed Gardener Watering Wand – 15in Garden Hose Sprayer Dramm 12805 Touch-N-Flow Rain Wand 30-Inch Length, Blue

Garden Hat

According to a Mother Nature Network article I found a while back, a University of Georgia professor makes any of his students who show up to his outdoor class without a hat write an essay on skin cancer. I find that pretty funny. Telling though.

Find a hat with a wide brim and a high UPF factor. Another recommendation is to find one that has a draw cord. Helpful for those breezy days. Do you have mosquitoes? They make hats for those days when it seems like those little buggers are out for blood. Kinda like July here in Northern Florida!

Women’s UPF 50+ Wide Brim Braided Straw Sun Hat with Adjustable Chin Strap. Natural-Brown.Outdoor Boonie Sun Hat – UPF 50 For Adults. Wide Brim. Waterproof. Breathable Polyester & Mesh Coolibar UPF 50+ Men’s Reversible Bucket Hat – Sun Protective, Small/Medium Flammi UPF 50+ Adult Sun Hat Outdoor Anti-mosquito Mask Hat with Head Net Mesh Face Neck Protection

Rolling Cart

I can’t survive without my garden cart! It will transport those big bags of mushroom compost or my newly acquired seedlings for me so easily! I have the Smart Garden Cart shown below. It is incredibly lightweight and those huge wheels make it easy to push around. I think my only complaint is when the soil is soft i.e. it has rained or I am pulling it over freshly dug up earth; it’s tires get mired in the soft dirt and it is a struggle to pull it through. Otherwise, I love it! It definitely makes my vegetable gardening go much more efficiently.

Some of the carts have a seat on them as well so they can pull double duty as a carrier and a gardening bench. My only warning on any of these carts is to confirm their weight will not be too much for you to handle.

Rolling Garden Cart w/Extendable Handle, Swivel Seat & Basket Smart Garden Cart, Black – Fully Assembled.Suncast LC1250D 15.5-Gallon Capacity Poly Rolling Lawn Cart

Conclusion

Although there are many gardening tools on the market, they’re not all the best gardening tools for seniors – because our seniors require a little extra attention in the tools they use. If they want to really be able to enjoy their gardening anyway. The best gift you can give them is to buy the best quality tools you can. This way they will last longer and hopefully not cause any additional pain or discomfort.