I have a mentally challenged young man (son of a neighbor) that comes in an 1 1/2 a day. Sometimes it's good. He can saw off limbs, dig holes, spread mulch, gather horse manure, etc., things that are hard for me due to arthritis. Sometimes it's bad. Like the time he sprayed half a rose bed with weed killer (he was supposed to be spraying nut grass in the lawn). Or the time he put fresh manure about six inches deep around a rose and fried it to a crisp (he was supposed to use composted manure). All in all, I guess the good and bad balance out. He's learned a lot (finally knows a weed from a flower) but still has a long way to go.

He requires close supervision or I get results like the weed killer incident. One of his ideas for killing nut grass was to pour boiling water around the base of a rose. I was supervising so that didn't happen, but it might have if I hadn't been there. As someone said above, though, he can do more heavy work in an hour that I can do in a week.

I'm the chief cook and bottle washer as well as head gardener around here. Al helps when he can but he's still working so his time is limited but we muddle along OK. I wanted to get a lawn service but Al loves his riding mower and won't give it up, lol!

I do most of the small jobs like plant and maintain (water, weed, fertilize) all the flowers, veggies and fruit trees on our 2.5 acres. DH does the big jobs like cutting down trees, building things like arbors, fences, raised beds. We are 60 and have been doing everything ourselves for the last 35 years. I am home full time so have the time, if not the energy, to do it all. I think I am getting to the point that I would consider hiring someone if I could find a good person.
Clare

I am too picky to let anyone else in my gardens! I do all of my gardening myself and enjoy it. I am 62, so I am slowing down, but my garden is maturing, also. This is helpful. This past week I spread 7 scoops and 60 bags of mulch. That, I will NEVER do again!! That was way too much for me!

Not really. I have someone who comes to help maintain my 50 acre farm a half day once a week, but I try to keep him on heavy tasks and away from my plants! If I need a tree or a shrub moved, a new bed started or some mulch spread he sometimes helps. Mostly if I have him take care of the weed eating that frees me up to do most everything else...I truly loath weed eating.

I am quite speechless at the amount of work some of you do. My allotment is less than a quarter of an acre and I have a titchy little home garden and I am absolutely at my limit. The council offered me another half plot and I had to turn it down because I feel stretched to the limit.
One the other hand, a couple of the gardens I tend to are much bigger and really have to get by with 2-3 hours a week. These gardens have lots of grass (at least one or two hours of cutting every week but I nag the customers to get on it themselves and sometimes they do) and often long borders of shrubbery. I generally plant any spares or divisions I have in my customers gardens (and they all, just about, give me a free hand) and try to have a couple of special projects such as a new island bed, going every year, Also, I am fairly profligate with the glyphosate as laborious hand-weeding is out of the question. In some ways, it is surprising how well thay look with such limited labour and I have been getting my customers much more involved in two of the gardens - which always bodes well as, most of the gardens are not really thrilling uses of the space. If I was younger, I would have really liked to work in a grand estate or botanical garden, just for the variety and range of plants, but, as a jobbing gardener, I do all sorts, from full-on design and build (once or twice a year at most) to one-off renovations to regular weekly maintenance....and I work for myself, can choose my times although if I had a huge mortgage, insurance and capital outlay, I would have to charge more than I currently do and probably have to work a whole lot harder. I have never advertised and just get work by word of mouth. I have had the same few customers since 2002
Those of you with acreage, how on earth do you manage? Do you keep pasture land? Food crops? Even just regular cutting with a brushcutter is plenty of work. Do you have woodland? I really could not imagine trying to tend even an extra metre or so...and I have a bunch of offspring who can be prevailed upon, not mention a fit sweetheart who is amenable to nagging.

Nope, do everything by myself, except I have my stepson (strong 17 yr old) carry the mulch bags to where I need them. Otherwise, all me! Loads of work but I love it and wouldn't have it any other way. Of course, if I get to the point where my health won't allow it, that's another thing lol!

I often think it would be sooo nice to have a gardener for a week, to start the heavy work that I want to do. But it's just me! My dh dosnt care what I do to the yard but he golfs like crazy so he dosnt do yard work. I don't mind, I can dig up what I please ! But if I could have free labor for a week I could really transform the yard!

So Campanula - how about a full time job (sole money earner with disabled soul-mate), 2 hour commute per day, 17 horses with only a stall cleaner to help out, and 10 acres, that I tend to by myself (well, me and John Deere). 85 roses, at least that many more companion plants, artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes, 8 fruit trees, strawberries, blueberries, rasberries, blackberries, & grape bushes. I could definitely use a hand!

Wow, Harmony, just reading about all that work makes me tired!

Campanula - We cope by keeping most of the land as a 'meadow' lawn - just wild grasses and weeds that my DH mows when they get tall. Sometimes I fantasize about having goats to keep the weeds down, but they would have to be corralled away from the plants that I don't want to have eaten so I haven't actually taken the leap on that one yet. Roses are a fairly recent addition to my garden, my first gardening love has always been edibles so in the past years I've planted a small home orchard/vineyard (not sure the word applies if they are table grapes, but oh well), berry patches, and multiple veg and herb gardens. Most of the work is in the prep and planting, once things are in and established the work eases up a bit... now I just need a good irrigation system and I'll be set ;oP

I've hired two companies that call themselves landscape companies. The best known and most expensive has the "boss" come out and listen to what I want done then translates his orders to the actual workers and leaves. I've only used them for simple and pretty basic shrub/tree work and can't imagine asking them to "tidy up" the perennial bed or prune the roses. The language barrier alone would prove most difficult once the boss left.....The second company did some hardscape for me that went fine but when I asked them to prune my Crape Myrtles they performed the infamous Crape murder. I almost had a hissy. Then they had the nerve to quote a charge of $50.00 an hour to do any additional "yard work"....Gardening is a refined process that requires a good eye, some plant knowledge, and most of all thought. You can't just go about whacking and hacking and achieve a nice garden. So far I can't find a real gardener to hire even if I could afford one......Maryl

I should have added....

My friend who owns the landscape company currently has a ficus tree that one gardener decided to shape like an ice cream cone. Some one should have shown him an ice cream cone cause the shape is less than "G" rated....

And when I had his guy "trim the hedges under the tenant windows to 12" lower than the window" He cut the "cute" little ball shaped courtyard trees off at 12" above the ground.

Peachy, if you get the goats, double fence around your garden area. I tried it, and ended up having to move them to the other side of our creek to keep them out of the roses. They looove roses. They are funny, and I enjoy them.

Camp, we "bush hog" our pastures--the same as mowing, but it's not a finish mower. My husband is still able to do that even though he has COPD. I do everything else.

Harmony, you have me beat. We have six horses and two minis. We have more acreage, and though we have a barn, we don't keep them stalled full time, so we don't have the labor of mucking out stalls.

I would love to be able to do the heavy work myself - as I did for years, but can't. I have a 'mow n blow' guy in training to be a gardener. I think it's going to take a long time even though he is willing to learn. As Maryl said: "Gardening is a refined process that requires a good eye, some plant knowledge, and most of all thought." He just can't seem to see the weeds I see and just doesn't seem to notice that he's piled mulch on the iris - even though I've explained about root-rot before. When I point it out, he's ok with trying harder. I work full-time so until I can spend more time tutoring him, I'll continue to do many of the doable chores myself and be glad I'm still able.

BTW, he's an energetic 65 yr old while I'm a disabled, but enthusiastic 65 yr old. Between us and my 13 year old grandson, we get it done. I'm blessed that my 65 yr old helper's charges are very reasonable and that he's easy to work with. I do pay my grandson for most of his heavy work because I want him to experience the fun of having spending money by working hard for it. Once in a while his mom says, no -- just do it because she's your nana. We're at the point now that when grandson wants or thinks he needs something, he asks me for work rather than asking his parents to buy it for him - he knows they'd usually say - pay for it yourself. Now if I can just get the two younger ones interested in making money. I guess their time will come. Still, I'd rather do it all myself if I could.

I have a small city property with only 50 roses and lots and lots of plants to mulch and maintain in many beds.

Do kids count? Tonight my 12 year old will weed some of the beds with me before we head off for his sisters soccer game. Gives us about 30 minutes to work tonight. My daughter cuts most of the lawn for me between sports, studying and dance. She also weeds on her own when time permits.

Well, I just turned 85 , and things are getting harder and harder... I do most stuff myself and the Dr. says whatever I'm doing 'keep it up'... I do have a lawn-man to mow-&-blow, and he'll cone abt. once a month for just 2 hours, to do heavy stuff... but otherwise it's all me... I have a large city-lot, 90' wide, abt. 150 roses and lots of companion plants interplanted in the rose-beds, also mango trees, papaya, mulberry, citrus, and veggies, also abt. 50 orchids in the Guava tree, also 8 cats w/5 litter-boxes... my little fur-babies! My DS comes on weekends and does work on the house but not much in the garden, that's my domain, also he drives me when we go on the IS, to Lakeland for the Heritage Rose Society meetings at FSC, but otherwise I drive myself locally..seems there's always something waiting to get done and never caught up!..sally

I've tried to layout my 40 acres (+10 of my neighbors!) so that the vast majority can be done with a 10 foot bush hog. There's only a tiny bit around the house, down the driveway and along the road that needs to be finished mowed. I've keep the gardens and the landscaping right around the house. The roses are new but I've done perennials in this climate for so many years I have a good idea which ones to plant that are happy to thrive here without a lot of fuss. (I'm hoping to find some old roses that want to get in the program too! :-) )

A lot of it's about having the right equipment...2 tractors, one with a front end loaded, a zero turn mower with a 5 foot deck, a golf cart/utility vehicle, portable water tanks and place for a burn pile and a composting system. Even more is about looking out at a 10 acre pasture that ought to be mowed and not letting it bother me if I can't get to it this week! Everything about my place is about things looking like a FARM not some palatial, manicured estate. We are ALL about patina around here and what says patina better than a few weeds!

The best part is that the gardening and maintenance, the horse care and training along with parenting teenagers is my job! So I have time and flexibilty--as long as I can get someone else to weed eat!

Sally---I'm right behind you--will be 83 in Nov.----after 2 hip replacements and two back surgeries I have to be very careful---no more digging or pulling or twisting---DH and I have always done it all but if we stay here we will soon need a lot of help----roses are doing OK with very little care--try to keep up with the pruning---I miss the good old days when I was able to do it all---I'm not complaining because I am able to walk around the garden --after two 3 month periods in a wheelchir just walking is a blessing-
Roses are blooming now and that makes me happy---

Florence--

We do everything ourselves except the lawn mowing. I found that could be farmed out without any danger. There has been a lot of heavy lifting and I've moved more dirt than I thought possible, but worth it for the beautiful roses. Automated watering and timers save us, although it takes some labor to put the system in and update it and check that it's working periodically.

I'm too possessive and picky to let anyone into my gardens. I've found most people are clueless about plants and haven't the foggiest idea of how to prune, transplant, or provide the minimum of care for the simplest of garden tasks. People simply don't...garden anymore it seems.

We have 2.5 acres in central Illinois and I have about 300 roses, clematis, daylilies, iris, hydrangeas, peonies, hostas, heucheras, and my latest love which is a newly-planted dwarf conifer garden. We have massive old oaks and maple trees that were probably saplings during the Revolutionary War, and we've planted blue spruce and a few other ornamental trees throughout the years.

All these various garden beds require two graintrucks of wood mulch annually that amount to 80 cubic yards, for which I'm grateful we have a tractor and I have a willing, strong husband to help with the task. He digs the rose holes, builds structures, does the heavy lifting, etc., while I do the pruning. He didn't start out being a gardener, but he is willing to help me. He takes care of all the mowing, tree trimming, etc. It's a good thing he mows because I can't figure out how to steer that huge 60" mower with those strange handles.

I used to do it all myself. Not anymore. I have someone who is absolutely fabulous do lots of the heavy work for me now. He put at least a dozen roses and other plants into the ground for me so far this week; over the past month or two, he has built a long wall of clematis trellises, put in new irrigation works, etc. There are a lot of things that I simply can't do anymore (yucky arthritis), and he does them better and faster anyway. Costs me???? You betcha. Worth it? You betcha and a half !!!!

I still get to spend hours in the yard/garden doing what I can and still love to do: pruning, weeding, training, going to the nurseries and buying new things to plant, but without the strength he brings to the garden it would not be the satisfying place that it has finally become. Today he will be running the chipper and turning a massive pile of debris into gold....Heck, I can't even get the darn thing to start anymore....

We use a riding mower to maintain the tall weeds and grass that grows in between the trees. Since we moved here 26 years ago we have planted lots of trees, over 80 redwoods alone, on the 2.5 acres so have less every year to mow.

We have always taken care of by ourselves all the landscaping, the roses by the gazebo (DH built), the veggie garden and other plantings. Here are some pictures of our land. You can click on the other albums like 'My Roses', 'My Flowers', and 'Veggie Garden' too.
Clare

Here is a link that might be useful: My land and garden.

I am still really surprized that there are some 80 year olds on here that actually know how to work a mouse & actually use the internet... Its mind blowing.. We tried to teach my grandma how to use the mouse and she about broke it pushing down so hard but we got her to to play solitaire sort of as long as we kept it on the screen..

So envious of you ladies that have someone to build garden structures for you. My DH isnt any better at it than I am.

HI, I'm in South West England, England, but have come to this site many times as it's so useful and friendly. (Finally signed up to be able to post tonight! :) I'm a gardener but mostly feel like a labourer as i do the weed it, dig it, cut it jobs that everyone hates, especially when it's pouring with rain! Sometimes i feel I could be a damn good hairdresser as i trim a bit, look a bit, chop in a bit until I get a pretty bush that looks as if it hasn't ever been touched! I'm cheap, I know, but just love being outside, with birds jumping into where I've been working, sitting with my customers enjoying a cup of tea while we chat about what's been done and how it'll look when it's all done! I smoke, and at the start of each session I generally walk around the whole garden, coffee and cigarette in hand, considering what needs doing, looks lazy, I know, but then it's registered and I'm off and I don't stop till it looks lovely! Gardeners do the jobs you hate but we do love it so long as you appreciate when it's been a flippin' hard task!

So very true, and now I have found a doppleganger in Southwest England!

I do all the gardening on my own, but have a person that cuts my grass. I've told them to stay out of the beds :) But, since I am an organic gardener, I pull the weeds in the lawn by hand.

I do everything myself: hole digging, lawn mowing (gasoline mower), hedge trimming with gasoline chainsaw (most scary tool I ever used), tree and hedge pruning with telescopic pruner.

All these tools were expensive but each one of them was an investment that repaid itself after a couple of uses. Gardeners are so expensive. I couldn't have a garden if I had to hire a gardener, at least not a garden surrounded on all sides by a tall hedge, with a lawn, with a flametree that needs trimming so as not to encroach on neighbors' gardens. In other words, a green room that saves me from the white padded cell.

Every now and then when I happen to be just standing next to the gate - up comes some roaming gardener or just some labourer looking for an odd job, and offers his services. They take it for granted that it can't possibly be me who's tending this garden (most people take it for granted I can't even boil an egg, and wouldn't be surprised if I were to whip a bottle of smelling salts out of my handbad).

This week Gary and I finished 3 summers of landscaping here. This spring we finally purchased a John deer. What a blessing.
We're on 5 acres but probably 4 of them are pasture for the horses. We've always done it all ourselves. The tractor surely helped us finish the final beds so much quicker than we had hoped. Wish we could have purchased it 2 years sooner. Moving 40ish yards of dirt with wheel barrels was no picnic. Oh dont pay attention to me palavering. My doc says keep it up.
Today was the first day that we didnt have much to do. Cut 2 bouquets for neighbors and sat in the field with the dog and the horses. I'll probably get bored with the work behind us but not now.
Jeannie
Thanks for listening...

It's just me. I am a for-hire horticulturist and landscape designer, but there is not the need in this rural area as there is toward the City and over yonder with ya'll on the west coast. Maybe my marketing target is off.

PS, I have seen terryjean's yard, and she ain't jokin'. That girl works HARD but it pays off. :o)

Yes she does, and it is truly spectacular!

I have a very small garden, not even a 1/8 acre as I'm in a small city; and much of it is front and side yard. I take care of the daily maintenance of the roses and garden in general but beyond that not much else.

The lawn is serviced by professionals. My BF of many years, just could not manage to remember to do it on a schedule which made me happy so in order to avoid unnecessary arguments I hired someone. For $35 a week, it alleviated a lot of undue stress on the relationship lol (and honestly they do a much better job).

I also have professionals come in to do the mulching, spring and fall cleanups, lawn care other than mowing and I have an arborist that I've been dealing with for over 15 years from another home I owned.

I'm 53, work full-time, and have a few physical limitations which make it more and more difficult to do all of this on my own. My BF, is not a part-owner of the home, and although he's good at helping out in many ways here - I've learned he is NOT a gardener by any stretch of the imagination. He'll dig the holes I need without complaint, but honestly, he just isn't adept at knowing what the garden needs beyond that. Glad to have good people to hire at my disposal!

I would hire somebody, but the available help around here DO NOT like taking orders from women. I do the mowing and trimming, have a fair sized vege garden(enough for the neighbors) and my pride and joy flower beds, 7 in all.I will be 79 in Oct. My Dr. says I'm a young 70. ha and yes, I can manage the mouse just fine. I'm just happy that I had a Dad who gardened, and taught me about gardening, and how to work. I usually have a days work done around here before the neighbors go to work. I guess its because its not work for me.this was a fun post to read, and makes me think I'm not the only nut around. Wish you could all come over for coffee.

I do it all myself, partly because I can't afford paid help and partly because I am too picky. I laid out small vege beds so that I can get one double dug during one day. I do not want to have to explain to hired help about leaving weeds a while longer to attract my friends the humble bumbles, do not want my garter and northern brown snakes (mouse patrol) killed by someone with a phobia, do not want my rare roses blown or weed sprayed. I use hand tools only and bought the best I could find. If you cut grass with a sharp sickle, the cuttings can go directly onto the tomatoes, and you don't have to rake them up. I am training up some granddaughters in case I ever do need to hire someone.

Man, some of you guys put me to shame. I lived in a duplex so half the size of a normal yard. Which allows me to do everything myself though I could do without the mowing. I hate, hate mowing but I'm too poor and picky to have anybody else do it. Truth is my yard is just too small for me but I can barely keep up.
When I first moved in there was no fence between my yard and my neighbors on either side and two trees in the front. Since, I didn't know how to put in a fence, I decided to put in living fences. Over the years, I've put in plants and two more trees. As my garden grew the less I had to mow but watering by hand became a problem. Thank god for soakers hoses and drip irrigation. I've had offers to mow my lawn but after hearing story after story of how lawn services cut or ran over flower beds. I kindly tell them no thank you besides I mow once a month. My neighbors might not like it but the wildlife greatly enjoys it.

I am just loving all these stories, and am happy to read the posts from people whom I haven't met before on this forum. I'd love to have you all over for tea, too!

"I will be 79 in Oct"

Flowergirl - I loved reading that! It's great coming across such a gardener as you!

Hi Flaurabunda, nice idea to think we are dopplegangers, never found one before! :)I'm 52, dark-haired, so slim that no-one can believe how heavy a load I can lift or how thick a branch I can lop off. Moved into a flat with a wood-burner a year ago so taught myself how to split logs with an axe and to saw big bits of wood....feel really proud of myself now as I've always shied away from sawing jobs in the past, couldn't do it without shearing off in all directions or only going a bit into the wood, now I'm saw-woman! :) What about you, and Illinois? What's the climate,flora etc. like there?

I'm a full time estate gardener tending the gardens around the main house, a formal rose garden and the plantings around the barns, guest houses and other buildings, vegetable patch and 20 containers.

I do all the work myself -- trimming azaleas, camellias, etc, fertilizing, pest control, watering, planting winter annuals, containers, weed control, and more -- with occasional assistance. It sounds like a lot, but it's manageable. RoundUp is my friend. I patrol every day March through October, zapping tiny weeds, especially Virginia creeper, popcorn tree seedlings, Bermuda grass, etc. The secret is to never let weeds get big. It also helps to be a little obsessive-compulsive.

OTOH, there are times when I wish I had a dedicated helper -- not just a guy who will help load heavy bags and move heavy containers. A couple of years ago I had a wonderful helper (at a different plantation) and it was amazing how much we could get done. He was a Mexican farmer from somewhere in Oaxaca -- spoke little English, but I speak a little Spanish, so we got along fine.

A mow and blow guy cuts the grass, shears the tall ligustrum hedges and a few other large shrubs. In October, he brings in a crew to spread 3 big trailer loads on mulch. The mulch makes my work load much more manageable, not to mention it's good for the beds. Under a previous owner, we didn't get the load of mulch. Thank God for the mulch!

At home, I keep my landscape simple and low maintenance -- ligustrums and evergreens around the house, one small bed with 4 roses and a few perennials, Knockouts and tough perennials in the back yard. A mow/blow guy does my lawns, edges the driveway and front curb, shears the ligustrums.

We have two acres on the Brazos River in Central Tx. We use a riding mower to cut the grass. I do use a lawn service to fertilize the lawn and spray for insects. The rest of gardening is done by my wife and myself. I do admit ever year it gets a little harder. This year I took someone on this forum advice and put in a Mr Landscaper drip system for the rose garden and that has been a real blessing. Keep on gardening.

I have a tiny Chicago plot, which is a parkway full of hostas roses lungwort coral bells and ever greens, a front yard with day lilies, ferns, tall grass, and a few boxwood and a backyard with roses, cut flowers, goatsbeard, and whatever I thought might work this year.. I am going to hire a gardener, to hopefully make me a better gardner. I absolutely love it, but in 3 years of constant gardening whenever I am not working or traveling for work, my success is inconsistent. I would like to keep what is finally thriving alive, and limit the mistakes going forward. Too many to mention here. I plan to do the same amount of work but I am going to hire someone to come in for a day or two in the fall, a day or two in the spring -- to help make the plan - tell me what to order, feed etc, and then have them come every other week -- to save my yard from me - and give me instructions.

Day-to-Day,
Illinois is a challenge; extreme is the best description. HOT as hades in summer, cold to the bone in winter. Normally we have frequent severe weather with random tornados, lots of wind, hail. Usually we have ample rainfall and fertile soil, for the most part.

I'm late joining in with my stats...but here we go!

>I am the one and only gardener at my house :)
>My husband and I have a little over an acre.
>I take care of the gardens & flower beds, and he mows.
>There's a total of just under 500 rose varieties (so I don't spray)
>I work full time M-F, volunteer 6 hours at an animal shelter on Saturdays (plus we have 12 dogs of our own which are mostly special needs or seniors). I also just finished my Master's degree 6 months ago; so up until then, I was also a full-time student.
>Husband also works full time and mows yards on the weekends.

I guess the one thing working to my advantage is that I'm only 34.

Plus, I'm just a glutton for punishment! I truly do enjoy all of it, and it drives me crazy to sit still and not be doing anything :)

Tammy

Today I want a gardener!

The neighbors gardeners came by and said what I nice job I was doing. But trimming the guava hedge and leaf blowing that must street front of torn up "pavement" and all the jacarada mess, boy is that something I wish some one else was doing!

Oh well, it looks better and I am slowly lowering the hedge so it is not such a challenge to trim

Wow, Tammy, reading that made me tired.

Tammy - just two words for you: GO GIRL!!!!! You're inspiring.

I loved hearing how many other older gardeners are still working away at their own gardens. I am "only" 66, and tend 4 acres with the help of my now retired husband. After fighting through many medical problems we are both enjoying good health and trying to catch up with the work that was left undone. I run an organic cut flower business where I sell flowers from my garden made up into bouquets at streetside stands. Every year I ask myself if I still want to do this and just can't imagine summer without sharing the beauty with my small community.

I have around 200 roses, of all types, including a section of English roses, another of "Freelander" outdoor cutting roses purchased from Palatine, and my own personal front garden filled with roses and other flowers...no lawns, just flower beds with grass paths between.

My other passion (And its growing by leaps and bounds!) is dahlias. I grow 190 different ones and sell both tubers and cut flowers.

I do this all organically...only concession is a copper dormant spray to the roses in late winter IF I Can get hubby to do it. I have found the best solution for me is to purchase the right roses to begin with. Here on our very acid glacial till, and often chilly, gray weather, I have found that Kordes roses on multiflora rootstock, purchased from Palatine, keep the joy in gardening for me. Jackson and Perkins grafted (Dr Huey) roses never took well but these newer ones are nearly always healthy and sometimes incredibly wonderful! Still trying with some of the older ones but as they die off and are removed I am replacing them with these wonderful new and fragrant varieties that thrive here.

And my Drs have all said, what ever you are doing, keep on doing it!

I use lawn people for just that, cutting and edging the lawn. With two and a half acres to care for, there is no way that I at age 82 will cut the lawn anymore. I have an extensive flower and shrub garden that I still maintain myself. It's good exercise and keeps me "young".

My husband and I are both 68 and tend our half-acre garden together. He mows the grass, cuts the hedges and looks after the compost bins, the rest we do together including our 200 roses. We aim at "gentle decay", never edge the lawn but let perennials spill over the edges. So far we've only hired help to mend a retaining wall and to lay pavers. I don't think there are any lawn people for hire in Sweden for private home owners even if we could afford them. My husband tells me scary stories of so-called professionals who tend the gardens around his place of work who leave weeds and remove the perennials and treat all roses as hybrid teas.

The most labour saving thing we did this year was to order manure and mulch in bulk and delivered at our door. We used to buy sacks a couple at a time.

We are lucky that our growing season is short so we get six months of rest.

We have a small piece of land. My husband takes care of the back yard and I take care of some potted roses we have there.

Gardeners come every two weeks to mow and edge the front lawn and remove weeds from the flower beds.

They are not allowed to do anything to the roses -- that is my job.

I explained everything about the lawn and the weeding to the first crew we hired (I speak their language) but they apparently decided that everything that was not a rose bush was a weed.

They dug up all of my bearded irises along with most of the calla lilies and the new wisteria I had recently planted.

We let them go, and the second crew is relatively reliable.