I hate using a spade or a fork. They are so heavy that it wears me out just getting them from the shed. Lifting and moving a spadeful of soil is beyond me (and I'm not that old). I do all my digging, weeding, planting etc sitting on my wheelie box and using a small hand fork and trowel. Takes me a bit longer but I'm not in a hurry and I never get any aches and pains after gardening.
Glad its not just me who cant open a packed of biscuits lol! I love my trowel too, it was my dads - he died in 1976 and it was well worn then. Very comfortable handle.
The tools are not the problem, it's finding them that is the problem!! they need luminous handles or tracking devices fitted. Because they are usually black,wood or green handled, you put them down on the ground or in between plants and can never find the bloomin things for ages if ever
Hostafan - I'm just over 5' tall and find a lot of the handles on forks, spades and (especially for some reason) edging shears slightly too long to use comfortably.
Perhaps we should go into business making good tools with comfortable, telescopic handles ?
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
The people we bought this house from were both very tall. We are both on the shorter side. Had to invest in 3 of those folding mini-steps and leave them in strategic cupboards round the house so I could reach airing cupboard shelves, kitchen cupboards etc etc.
4 years on we've got it sorted & Snow White and her mates could live here quite happily
Pansy - don't forget - we shorties have the last laugh on airplanes when everybody else is sat with their knees round their ears
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
I'm only 5'7" ish, but proportionally my thighs are quite long - some cinemas and theatres are absolute agony and I come out of the performance with dents in my knees where they've been pressed into the back of the seat in front.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Just for the record, back problems aren't restricted to the over 50's
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I hate using a spade or a fork. They are so heavy that it wears me out just getting them from the shed. Lifting and moving a spadeful of soil is beyond me (and I'm not that old). I do all my digging, weeding, planting etc sitting on my wheelie box and using a small hand fork and trowel. Takes me a bit longer but I'm not in a hurry and I never get any aches and pains after gardening.
Glad its not just me who cant open a packed of biscuits lol! I love my trowel too, it was my dads - he died in 1976 and it was well worn then. Very comfortable handle.
The tools are not the problem, it's finding them that is the problem!! they need luminous handles or tracking devices fitted. Because they are usually black,wood or green handled, you put them down on the ground or in between plants and can never find the bloomin things for ages if ever
I'm 6ft tall and find the handles on most spades , forks etc are just too short which causes me to stoop when digging.
Those tools with " long handles" are usually punitively expensive by comparison for what I reason I know not.
Hostafan - I'm just over 5' tall and find a lot of the handles on forks, spades and (especially for some reason) edging shears slightly too long to use comfortably.
Perhaps we should go into business making good tools with comfortable, telescopic handles ?
Another vote for the hoe - I've got several different kinds and don't get on with any of them. My favourite tool is a hand fork.
The people we bought this house from were both very tall. We are both on the shorter side. Had to invest in 3 of those folding mini-steps and leave them in strategic cupboards round the house so I could reach airing cupboard shelves, kitchen cupboards etc etc.
4 years on we've got it sorted & Snow White and her mates could live here quite happily
Pansy - don't forget - we shorties have the last laugh on airplanes when everybody else is sat with their knees round their ears
I'm only 5'7" ish, but proportionally my thighs are quite long - some cinemas and theatres are absolute agony and I come out of the performance with dents in my knees where they've been pressed into the back of the seat in front.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.