JennyJ, Try Showa gloves, they do a small size which fits me perfectly. About £6.99 but last probably a year or so. Also brilliant are their thermo gloves for cold weather - I swear by them. You can buy them online from Amazon.
Most of my tool "problems" result from my height (or lack of), and small hands, rather than age. I just take longer to do things these days...
Secateurs. Felco, the ones designed for smaller hands, are useless because they spring open so wide that I need both hands to close them. I buy cheap ones which fit my hands, then throw them away when they wear out. Or lose them in the compost heap!
Wheelbarrow. If you have short legs, you can't push a wheelbarrow with your arms straight or its feet scrape the ground. Pushing a fully laden barrow with arms bent is not sustainable for any length of time.
My wrists are weaker than they were, and a bit arthritic, but I still use the same hand tools - just hold them differently. For example, I hold a trowel so that the "blade" comes out of the bottom of my hand, not between my thumb and fingers, to avoid having to rotate my wrists when digging holes for bulb planting etc.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Liriodendron - I'm also short - under 5ft now! solved the wheelbarrow problem by getting an upright solid plastic garden cart with two wheels. You can push or pull it, whichever's easiest and it's tall enough to carry a spade or fork (bit difficult but doable).
Spades are are particularly poorly designed. Many have a sharp eddge where one places one's foot, instead of a flat edge. Why are the digging edges flat? If they were pointed it would make things much easier. I have trouble bending over and kneeling. I should like a robust walking stick for the garden - one with three prongs that dig in a little and did not fall over when left to stqnd. with such an implement I could get down and up off the ground. There are kneeling pads, but using these amongst a flower bed crushes too many flowers. Strimmers are ridiculously poor with the line breaking after a minute or two.
Spades are are particularly poorly designed. Many have a sharp eddge where one places one's foot, instead of a flat edge. Why are the digging edges flat? If they were pointed it would make things much easier. I have trouble bending over and kneeling. I should like a robust walking stick for the garden - one with three prongs that dig in a little and did not fall over when left to stqnd. with such an implement I could get down and up off the ground. There are kneeling pads, but using these amongst a flower bed crushes too many flowers. Strimmers are ridiculously poor with the line breaking after a minute or two.
I hand found the last few years that ‘lawn edging shears’ give me back and neck ache. I love a tidy lawn edge but sometimes it’s easier to get down on my knees and edge it with garden scissors (kitchen discount store scissors) . However, I can see that becoming a problem in the years ahead . What do other folks use for lawn edging?
Posts
Secateurs. Felco, the ones designed for smaller hands, are useless because they spring open so wide that I need both hands to close them. I buy cheap ones which fit my hands, then throw them away when they wear out. Or lose them in the compost heap!
Wheelbarrow. If you have short legs, you can't push a wheelbarrow with your arms straight or its feet scrape the ground. Pushing a fully laden barrow with arms bent is not sustainable for any length of time.
My wrists are weaker than they were, and a bit arthritic, but I still use the same hand tools - just hold them differently. For example, I hold a trowel so that the "blade" comes out of the bottom of my hand, not between my thumb and fingers, to avoid having to rotate my wrists when digging holes for bulb planting etc.
I have trouble bending over and kneeling. I should like a robust walking stick for the garden - one with three prongs that dig in a little and did not fall over when left to stqnd. with such an implement I could get down and up off the ground. There are kneeling pads, but using these amongst a flower bed crushes too many flowers.
Strimmers are ridiculously poor with the line breaking after a minute or two.
I have trouble bending over and kneeling. I should like a robust walking stick for the garden - one with three prongs that dig in a little and did not fall over when left to stqnd. with such an implement I could get down and up off the ground. There are kneeling pads, but using these amongst a flower bed crushes too many flowers.
Strimmers are ridiculously poor with the line breaking after a minute or two.
A glow worm's never glum
Cos how can you be grumpy
When the sun shines out your bum!