If gardening was easy then everyone would do it.

Pull the weeds :)

schoolhouse - great to 'see' you again :-) Spring has been cooler - and drier! - than normal here. We had about half our average April rainfall and May is shaping up to be the same or lower! So weeds have not been too bad here. But about a year ago we had started using garden helpers to work with us for spring and fall clean-up. With the shutdown here re the virus, they were not allowed to operate until this month. So we had to do most of the spring clean-up ourselves. We left the last bit - digging out shrubs in the south alley - until last week when the garden help folk could come to do that - younger, stronger backs were required.... I'm a few years younger than you but 2 hrs. is about my limit too! DH is a bit older than me and healthier - but needs supervision :-) Last year I started the process of simplifying the garden as much as possible in preparation for aging-in-place as long as we can. Hence the digging out of shrubs in the south alley - replaced with 'Biokovo' perennial geraniums to be a groundcover next to the house. We need to remove a redbud tree that has started to fall over - but will wait until after it blooms. By that time hopefully the ash tree will have started to leaf out so we can assess whether to treat it again or just have it taken down. Removing the ash would eliminate a lot of the fall clean-up work!

Have you made any changes relating to keeping the garden a viable activity while aging?

Yes, I've downsized a bit - done away with some flower borders. I don't do edging anymore around the hedged beds. I used to lay mulch down after I edged, so not necessary to do that anymore. Looked great, but more work than I want to do. I tried to get away with not edging the flower borders but now I have a mess with grass invading the beds if I don't.

About seven years ago I began hiring someone to trim the very tall and long privet hedge. The last couple of years I asked him to do the shorter span of privet up by the courtyard garden, which I normally do myself. It's not cheap, but peace of mind - and back! No ladders to fall off either.

I still trim all the boxwood hedge and topiary's myself. I used to do it manually with shears! Now I use a cordless hedge trimmer (except on the topiary's). Not the best (I don't like the shaved look), but quick and eventually new growth comes on again for a more natural look. I can see a day when I will also pay to have this done. Other alternative is to tear the hedges out. :( that would be sad.

I used to drive by houses with big gardens and the gardens would be a shamble or even non-existent anymore and wonder why the owners left them go. Well, now I know. It gets to be a lot to keep up with plus very expensive if one has to hire help. Unless you are rich. ha

I am very fortunate that I have a garden helper, mainly for weeding. She is about 20 years younger than I and works like a beaver. I don't have her do much in the way of planting/dividing, as she is a bit too hasty and not as careful as I would wish. But she is invaluable! At 74, I could not keep up with weeding any longer. In fact, I regret that I have lost a huge amount of energy, stamina and strength over this past winter, and am finding gardening quite difficult this year.

I do hire out the leaf clean-up every year. Now I should critique the yard to see what I could downsize/change, but the entire property has large old oak and maple trees around the perimeter, and I am not inclined to remove those, and we back onto woods/vernal swamp. It is all lovely, but far too many leaves to deal with!

I really miss the days when I ws my helper's age and worked out in the gardens for 8-hour stretches with a small break for lunch!! Gone forever, I realize, and it bugs me no end. Ah, well, not much I can do about it.

As for the ever-returning weeds, I am semi-seriously thinking of getting a goat or two. But then all my hostas, daylilies and perennials would vanish as well...

On the other hand, perhaps it's time for us to just sit back and ENJOY. I know that is hard to do, because as we sit we see this needs done, that needs done, there's a weed, etc.

I agree when hiring help it's also difficult to sit and watch without critiquing. I find myself either out there watching the hedge being trimmed or popping out every so often to "check". Irritates the workers I'm sure, but I admit I'm picky. I'd be the same way if someone was taking care of my garden. They'll never do it just like we've done it all these years. And come to do the work when I expect them to. I guess I'd have to relax and just be grateful it's getting taken care of - eventually.

Oh, schoolhouse! That philosophy is one to emulate, for certain. I shall try harder to do so!!!

The company/people we use to help are gardeners and they work along with us, under my supervision! They know that I'm the one in charge... I e-mail them the list of things I want to do on the particular day and they use that to estimate how many people to bring and for how long - it’s usually two of them and the two of us for two hours so that gives us an 8-manhour session which gets a lot done. They do the stuff where it helps to have young, strong muscles :-). So far, it has worked well for us and I don’t need to feel guilty about ‘bossing them around’ or ‘interfering’! I think it helps that the company is run by the guy’s mother who is now largely retired from gardening herself so she understands my needs quite well. But I think most of their customers are normal ‘hands off’ non-gardening types :-). They actually seem to enjoy coming here and sometimes ask if they can take the plants we discard.

I know people want to sell Perennials, but I don't find them as genuinely trouble free as growers claim, as weeds are such a problem. Halfway done into clearing my overgrown perennial bed, and some plants may even be lost. Some desired plants also can overwhelm, so some get rejected, eventually. Amazed how much room there is, when the weeds are rooted out. Mulch has helped, but other responsibilities made care difficult. Weakened ones are potted up and moved to rehab area, for future re-introduction.