The Knee-Friendly Garden

Each year, over four million people see their doctors about knee problems. Injury, genetics and normal wear-and-tear can contribute to knee pain. Knee pain does not have to keep you from enjoying your garden. For many people, using adaptive techniques and tools allows them to care for their plants and keep their yards looking spectacular.

Before You Begin

Before working in your yard or garden, discuss any possible limitations and treatment suggestions with your physician. A doctor or physical therapist may be able to design a knee strengthening program to improve your joint function. Good work shoes are a must for the gardener with bad knees. Do not just pull on a worn out pair of sneakers – they might make the pain worse. Instead, wear shoes that fit well and encourage good leg alignment. Cushioned soles can also help reduce knee pain.

Before each gardening session, schedule time to warm-up your knees with a light walk or a few minutes on a stationary bike. Gently stretching the front and back of the thigh can help reduce pressure on the knee. Make a “plan of action” for your time in the garden. Do not spend too much time in a position that hurts your knees. If kneeling hurts, intersperse weeding with hoeing or another standing task.

Design for Your Knees

Balancing on a ladder can be painful for people with knee problems. Reduce the amount of time you have to spend on a ladder by opting for hedges or low maintenance trees. Train vines up a trellis to make harvesting beans, cucumbers and tomatoes more comfortable. Consider limiting the number of high maintenance, low spreading plants in your garden.  Consider using a raised bed or container.

Gardening from a bench by a raised bed garden will help reduce bending and kneeling. When laying your yard or garden out, choose packed dirt paths over paved ones, as walking on soil will be less jarring on your knees than brick, concrete or cobblestones. Losing your balance can exacerbate many knee problems so avoid walking on paths that are slippery or have tripping hazards such as loose stones or exposed roots. Try to include plenty of strategically placed benches and rails in your landscape. Benches will encourage you to take frequent breaks while railings will provide balance and help take the stress off your knees when you squat and rise. If walking up and down hills worsens your knee condition, level off your landscape or build in steps.

Helpful Tools

The following equipment may help working in your garden be more comfortable and fun:

• Kneepads, which cushions your joints when kneeling.
• A walking stick or cane to help you balance when picking your way through rows of plants, and to give stability when you kneel and rise.
• A long-handle lopper to aid in trimming shrubbery without having to balance on a chair or ladder.
• A pole-mounted tree trimmer to keep trees groomed with minimal climbing.

A knee condition or injury does not have to keep you out of your yard this year. Designing a knee-friendly landscape will protect your knees while caring for your garden.

Back: Body Friendly Gardening Home