As we all know, gardening can be physically demanding. Our bodies can get out of shape even after just a few months off during the winter months. Whether you are still needing to get in shape, are working on that New Year’s resolution to get fit, or suffer aches and pains of arthritis or back troubles, getting physically warmed up now for the rigors of spring planting later may help minimize muscle aches and pains when the work begins again. And that “later” is really just around the corner!
Stretching
Making stretching a regular practice is advantageous to gardeners all season long.
Stretching lengthens a muscle and decreases tightness that repetitive motion and exertion create. It’s best to stretch when your muscles are warmed up because they are more elastic and pliable (after a hot shower or physical activity). It’s a good habit to start now, and continue every time you garden.
Focus on the parts most affected by the movement demands of our gardener’s bodies. The bending and stooping we do affects our lower back and hips. Our neck, shoulders, upper back and knees can also take a beating.
Yoga is a great way to stretch. Poses like the Child’s Pose, Cat/Cow, Downward Dog and Cobbler’s Pose would work those areas. I’ve seen several good books, videos and websites offering yoga practices especially for gardeners. You can easily find these on the internet, or consult a physical therapist or athletic trainer at your local fitness center.
One resource by Bob Anderson, Stretching, offers a section on before-and-after gardening stretches. (ShelterPub.com)
Strength Building
Everyone says gardening is good exercise, and it’s true, but you don’t want to start out picking up a 50 pound bag of rocks or even a heavy bag of soil or compost without some strength training. That’s a recipe for back strain, and could affect your ability to garden the rest of the season.
Be smart and prepare your body for the bending and lifting required for prepping a garden. You can do this by mimicking gardening movements with appropriate weights. My friend, blogger Erica Strauss, created seven exercises and an explanation of exactly how they prepare your body for specific gardening activities. You could pick and choose which ones you want to perform based on what you will be doing this spring. The exercises are simple and use only dumbbells. They can be done at home, in the garden or at the gym. It is definitely worth checking out Erica’s exercises at http://www.nwedible.com/2012/03/the-7-best-strength-exercises-for-gardeners.html.
One yoga position also offers great core strengthening aid, as well as providing overall upper body strength – the Plank. Anywhere from 15 seconds to 5 minutes of this position each day provides great benefits. It is one of the fundamental yoga poses. Consult a professional for instructions on how to do it correctly.
Beneficial Tools
There is another way to help minimize aches and pains, too: using the right tools. Many of our Garden Weasel products are designed to help save work on your back. The long handles, ease of use and quality of our devices absorb a portion of your workload. Consider adding one of these helpful gizmos to your garden toolshed this spring! You can find more details about them on our website: www.GardenWeasel.com.
Tools List:
Cultivating Tool – The Garden Weasel
Cultivating, Loosening, Aerating and Weeding (CLAW) Tools: Weasel Garden Claw, Weasel Claw Pro, Garden Claw Red Super, Mini Claw Tall
Mulch serves as insulation for winter, so it still needs airflow. Survey your trees, shrubs and beds to make sure you’ve got them covered. Be sure to fluff up what is there with an iron rake to prevent compaction over winter. Then assess what areas need more. Don’t mulch too early, rodents will make their winter home in your mulch if you do.
Hang Up the Hose
Invite Potted Plants Indoors
Now is an ideal time to seed with cool-season grasses such as fescue and rye. It gives these hardy grasses the chance to germinate and develop strong roots before the freezing temperatures arrive.
later this fall (a crucial step!), it wouldn’t hurt to lay down a post-emergent herbicide or spot-treat weeds with a treatment like glysophosphate. This will keep your root systems strong and make for a better-looking lawn in the spring.
If you have a compost bin, use it! If not, build a simple bin for fall leaves and cuttings. Add them as needed, cover them up and let winter work its magic, so you’ll have rich organic matter next spring.
chopped-up leaves and grass clippings – and plant those spring bulbs you’ve been meaning to as well.
Once you get your lawn and garden cleaned up, relax! You’ve earned it. As we all know, the spring will be once again upon us before you know it, so now is the time to kick back.
Not sure about all of you, but in my gardens, flower beds, and my lawn, the annual war against pesky weeds is now in full swing. Making it a grand time for a blog post that covers different methods of engaging these invasive little enemies.
armory, an important note: Fighting weeds requires persistence and consistency. During peak growth, weeds can quickly take over and become tough to manage. So set aside an amount of time that works with your schedule – whether it be 15 or 30 minutes a day, or a dedicated hour a few days a week. This will help you stay on top of them and keep them from taking over your space. Keeping a schedule helps you ensure your plants get all of the room – as well as all of the water and nutrients – they need to stay healthy and strong.
In your gardens and beds, cultivation can be a very effective tactic for small weeds. Breaking up the soil provides easy access to weeds and their entire root. You can then remove them easily by hand or just leave them to wither in the sun. This is where the scissor-like action of the 
AG Crabgrass Killer
unique ideas I have found for weed control is this: plant perennials that actually suppress weeds! These particular plants help do some of the heavy lifting for you, discouraging weed growth:
Using mulch creates a barrier that deprives weeds of the chlorophyll-producing light they need to take over your garden. Plus it looks nice and adds another layer of defense to your weed-fighting strategy. Organic mulch, synthetic mulches, black poly film, and even newspaper can work for barrier material.
A friend told me recently I needed to “stop and smell the roses.” I knew he meant “slow down and enjoy life,” but it occurred to me that I would actually like to plant some roses in my garden TO smell.
Roses need 5 basic things: sunlight, soil, water, space and food. Assess your desired spot for these factors:
grow. All roses need good air flow and wind should be minimized. A good rule of thumb is to allow as much space for the width of the fully grown plant as it will be tall.
Tending Means Noticing
Many tomatoes found at grocery and garden stores today are hybrids. This means they are commercially grown with controlled pollination to retain or introduce desired traits – like thick skin or disease resistance.
When deciding what to plant, I like to visualize my plate. Heirlooms come in a range of beautiful colors from yellows to reds to purples and everything in between. And, because they taste so great, they can be cut and served as their own beautiful and delicious dish. So I like imagine what colors would look good on a plate served together and make my selections about what to grow from there.
Raised beds are one of my favorite ways to garden. They can bring out the artist, the chef or the mathematician in us. (Yes, even weasels like to be creative!) I love knowing that the work I put into creating the best soil possible will help ensure success. Now is a great time to create the ideal design and concoct the perfect soil for your raised bed garden.
up something new for your garden, you are probably already doodling designs for the spot you’ve picked out. Remember doing dot-to-dot pictures as a kid? Creating a raised bed is like bringing a dot-to-dot picture to life in your garden.
