5 Fibromyalgia gardening tips to get you going this spring

man-hand-garden-growth

As a person who suffers from the pain and discomfort of fibromyalgia, you’ve probably already given up many of the things that give you joy in life. You may have cut back on or eliminated your social activities, cut out engaging in recreational sports, or stopped doing family things. You may have even had to quit your job in order to deal with the issues of fibromyalgia. But if you find joy in gardening, you don’t have to let fibromyalgia steal that from your life, as well. Here are five fibromyalgia gardening tips to get you digging in the dirt again.

Grow a Vertical Garden

The pain of fibromyalgia often prohibits lots of walking and stooping. With a vertical garden, you drastically reduce the amount of movement necessary to grow, maintain and harvest your garden. The vertical garden can take many forms, and have dimensions that make you the most comfortable. There will be no need to reach high or bend down low if you don’t want.

Grow Plants in Tall Urns

Another way to virtually eliminate all bending is to grow your favorite plants in tall urns in the garden. Place them next to seating benches so that you can rest as you lazily apply fertilizer, prune plants or clip fresh flowers to bring indoors.

Have an Indoor Herb Garden

One of our favorite fibromyalgia gardening tips, because one of the easiest ways to garden and enjoy fresh herbs in your cooking is to grow an indoor herb garden. It doesn’t take much to set up. You can place all your potted herbs in an indoor window box for your kitchen window, or set up individual pots of herbs right near your cooking area. Either way, all you need to do is water every now and again and clip off your fresh herbs as needed.

Invest in a Sun Awning

Those reversible sun awnings that you see in magazines and on TV can provide true value to fibromyalgia sufferers. Often, strong heat is a source of great pain and discomfort, and it’s trigger for fibro flares in a lot of patients. With a large awning, however, you can enjoy tending to your potted garden plants under the cool shade of the awning. Choose plants that don’t like to be in full sun, and you should be able to grow healthy plants in no time.

Avoid High Pollen Season

Allergies are especially bothersome for fibromyalgia sufferers. Pay attention to your local weather forecast and avoid gardening outdoors on days when the pollen count is high. Spring is usually particularly high in pollen, but your region of the country will have its own peculiarities based on the natural plants and trees there.

You’ve already given up so much to fibromyalgia. Don’t let such a relaxing activity as gardening slip away. Use these fibromyalgia gardening tips to enjoy growing the flowers, fruits and vegetables that you love most.

Comments 6

Lorraine Robertson says:
nice one Linda we struggle but we don`t give up
Mayi456 says:
Well there could have been more substance here. I engage in light gardening. I have a yard, pull weeds, plant a little, spread mulch, drag hoses around and water, set up sprinklers. If I don’t do it who will? I have an older son who helps me if something is too heavy, like a bag of dirt. But my point is that despite this I am still deteriorating in my muscle tone and in my health. I weigh more, I tire easily, I become breathless. If gardening is a hobby I say do it. But know that you will pay with increased fatigue but benefit from enjoying the beauty of your garden. It’s all a give and take with this fibro.
Asian without the look says:
I agree, being a single mom, who else will do it? You just have to deal with the pain after whatever you need to do is done. Don’t give up on anything you love because it’ll cause you pain, because you only have one life. Just deal with the pain and fatigue afterwards. I totally get what you’re saying, and it’s totally true!!
Mayi456 says:
Thank you so much. It’s true though. You only have one life! I’m also a cancer survivor and know this well. I’ve found pacing is everything.
Eleanor Marie Lubbelinkhof says:
Hi Linda I am a dedicated gardener and have an extensive series of gardens but have had to change my style of gardening an got rid of plants that take to much fussing over, I have still been able to maintain seasonal colour but with iris, Daylilies,rudbeckia clematis no many small flowering shrubs. I still have a few of my favourite like roses but now they are shrub roses and don’t need to worry about pests or lack spot but still have the fragrance and colour. After years of constant weed control I find I don’t have a lot anymore. I find getting down on my hands and knees in the dirt relieves a lot of pressure of my spine and hips. I keep my tools and pail close and try not to get up too often. After a couple hours in the dirt my stress is way down and when I hobble into the house and have a hot shower I find I will have a deeper sleep that night. The pain will be way up but the satisfaction of doing something I love helps me emotionally. Yes I have to depend on others for the heavy work but the feel of good soil under your finger nails is great and the compliments on how beautiful my yard looks gives me a huge boost. So as long as I can manage even a little gardening it gives me hope
Kylie Clarke says:
oh come on! You guys can do better than that!!! Who ever writes this stuff obviously does not have fibromyalgia and thinks money is no object. You should get a fibro sufferer to blog for you.