Discussion Thread: Gardening isn’t just for old folk.
Join the conversation…
I posted over on Instagram this week about gardening not being just for old folk and I’ve had some really interesting conversations, so I thought I’d bring the discussion over here too.
I adore watching gardening shows on TV, they fill me with ideas and inspiration. But have you noticed how the ad breaks are full of adverts aimed at a certain age of person? From over 50s life insurance, cremations, funeral plans and stair lifts, it’s clear gardening is typically associated with those in later life. I sometimes even joke myself that I live as though I’m retired because my favourite way to spend my time is in the garden.
Of course gardening is an incredible hobby for older people but I’d love to see people of all ages being encouraged to give it a go. More encouragement in schools, more green prescribing, more focus on the wonderful healing powers of spending time gardening and in nature on the whole.
I’d love to chat and find out your thoughts and experiences. Have you had people joke that you’re older than you are? Are you retired and wish you’d got into gardening sooner? Do your local schools encourage children to get growing? Hop into the comments section and let me know.
Claire 🍃
Before anyone takes offence, I’m in no way criticising or belittling older people and I hope to be fit and well enough to garden well into my own later years. And for full disclosure I’m 40 later this year. My younger self definitely considered this old but it’s funny how your perception changes as you age!
I feel like I have so much to say but I need to think... I’m just back from potting up seeds - one beginning with a Z and some cosmos!
I’ve been really influenced by Katrina over at Homegrown Garden who I first found over on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@homegrowngarden
I feel like maybe we need to influence the programming of mainstream channels at this point because LOADS of us take pleasure in gardening but perhaps it goes against societies main message of earn more, buy more repeat... the economy works in a different way if we slow down earlier in life?
I also love Tap o North on YouTube too - Dave did his permaculture training there. 🌱
Thanks for helping me to think about this more Claire! ✨❤️✨
One of the issues might be that to garden, you need a garden! Much more renting for young people than buying these days, I wonder if this gets in the way? Will you invest time and money in a plot that you might only have for a few seasons? We bought a house in our twenties and tended the extremely small garden there! We were 37 when we bought this house I think and this is the first garden of a decent size that we have owned.