Celebrate ‘Grandparents Day’ with Gardening Tips

The STIGA team know just how important words of wisdom passed down through the generations can be when it comes to jobs in the garden. So no better time than to ask the u3a movement if they have any members who are grandparents and who would be happy to share their gardening tips for the occasion!

u3a is a UK-wide movement for people who are retired and semi-retired.  It consists of locally-run interest groups that provide a wide range of opportunities for people to come together to learn for fun. Members explore new ideas, skills and activities together. There are over 1000 u3as with around 400,000 members, and grandparents from the Southport u3a Gardening Group have kindly offered the following tips for gardening.

Gardening Tips From Southport u3a Gardening Group 

1. Get a good kneeler with handles to help you get up again, one that you can turn over & use as a seat when you’ve had enough.
2. Plant in pots, these are easier to manage. Choose lightweight containers made of plastic or composite, these can then be emptied and removed from the garden when they have finished flowering.
3. Choose lightweight garden tools such as long-handled pruners, they are very useful
4. Use electric secateurs, they are marvellous!
5. You don’t need outdoor space to have a garden. Indoor gardening can be rewarding and easier to manage
6. Why not grow some herbs or look after some plants or flowers to enhance your home.
7. If kneeling and bending are becoming too difficult. The solution could be to grow vertically. Switch to raised planters and trellised-based plants as this will put less strain on your knees and spine.

Fun Ways To Introduce Children To Gardening

1) Sunflower growing competition between grandchildren & grandparents.

• Sow ‘tall’ sunflower seeds in Spring in 3″ pots with your grandchildren, label & water.
• Pot up to larger pots and get established before planting out into the garden because slugs and snails like their leaves.
• If you’ve no garden space, keep potting up into larger pots.
• Add a cane when large enough to tie in.
• Water when pots feel dry to the touch on the top.
• Check regularly to see whose is the tallest.

2) Grow some food.

• Climbing beans do not need a lot of space in the garden and can be grown in large 10″ pots.
• Choose either French or runner beans, there are plenty of varieties.
• You will need a 6-foot cane for each pot or spot in the garden.
• Traditionally beans are grown up a wigwam of canes but beans will grow very successfully up one vertical cane per 2 bean plants.
• Sow beans in 4″ pots, 2 beans per pot beginning of May.
• Once they get to 3 or 4 inches tall, transplant to the growing spot & tie onto the cane. These plants grow very quickly and pods will form after 6 weeks.

3) Make bird tables.

Buy some “make your own“ bird tables. A member’s grandson who is 6 years old took great delight in following the instructions very carefully.  He loved learning what a ratchet screwdriver was and making starter holes for the screws to go in. The joy he had showing his grandma and big brother his work was immeasurable. Next visit he is going to paint his bird table. Hours of joy!

You can find many lightweight and handy tools and mowers on the STIGA website, including battery pruning shears and cordless multi-tools see more at www.stiga.com/uk

If you are interested in joining the u3a, you can read more and find your local u3a at www.u3a.org.uk