Bumping for you.

I can see where your garden doesn't lend itself well to a rolling seat. Mine is well suited to one. I have beds along a walkway and along the street and along the driveway and rasied vegetable beds with pathways. I rarely am on the lawn, and I guess my beds are not as deep as yours. I use a kneeling pad if I have to go into the interior of my beds.

Thanks for your response. I was surprised that I seem to be in the minority of gardener's who use a rolling seat. But now I see why that might be true.

Years ago I tried one but, like cearbhaill, it just didn’t suit the style of my garden or my gardening. I’m a literal ’seat of the pants’ gardener who also spends a lot of time on hands and knees :-) so my most useful aids are rainpants to keep me dry, Fox gloves inside vinyl kitchen gloves, Trainer’s Choice knee supports and a kneeling pad! Functional but not an elegant look! :-)

I had to look up the knee supports and the fox gloves. Rainpants - what a great idea. I'm fortunate that one thing that does still work on my aging body, are my joints. I just run out of energy too quickly and sitting extends the time I can stay out there before I need to take a break and come back to it. Interesting how adaptive we all are. We find what works for us. Thanks for sharing.

I love my old simple plastic seat with wheels..still works but it‘s wearing out..husband put some scrap wood under the seat to strengthen it..it was discontinued..not available now..there are similar ones but I prefer mine..

there was a post once about favorite garden tools and I put this seat and my Felco pruners as my favorites..

searched for the post..couldn’t find it..

my paths are wide (my doing)..my beds and borders are narrow (also my doing)..most are islands and accessible from all sides..it’s easy to work from my seat..

Yep, I have one of those rolling tractor seats and it works well for things like planting in raised beds, or harvesting strawberries. I find it handy for a couple of very specific tasks, but in general I don't use it all that much.

Last fall I got one of those little seats that is a kneeler and also a mini-bench, depending on which way you flip it. So far I've only used it to sit in the shade and recover from doing labor-intensive stone work. We'll see how useful it is come planting time!

Nicholsworth - That’s what I have, a cheap old plastic seat w wheels. I’ve been saying every year for the past 10 that I need to replace it because it’s ‘almost’ ready to fall apart, yet it’s still going. I thought I might like an upgrade but I’m in such a habit of how this one functions. It’s also only 11.5” high and I just noticed that a lot of the upgraded seats are a lot higher with seats 16 to 22 inches off the ground. I think the lower seat works perfect for me.

And you are right, they are not available anymore. I saw some used on EBay but they are not in great shape and they want an arm and a leg for them.

I used to have two water powered hose reels that we just loved and they finally conked out on us and now I discovered they discontinued them and they are not available any more. What a disappointment, I loved those!

Karen, I’d have to pay attention to what exactly I am using my rolling seat for, but I do seem to use it all the time. It’s really a life saver to prune boxwood and like you when I am working in my raised beds. I’ll have to notice what else I’m doing on it this year.

Mine is still useable even though the center of one of the wheels has fallen off and the top of the seat appears to finally be starting to sink a little. I may try to get through another growing season with it…lol.

This thread has been eyeopening! I hope you find the tool that best suits you :)

I can tell I grew up making mud pies as a favorite playtime activity. I get down on the ground, dry or wet, with my holey jeans, and shirt I also paint in and get as dirty or muddy as can be. And it doesn't bother me. My biggest issue is, I have to change positions a lot because I tend to only tuck my left leg to lean over. Ironically, I'm super allergic to grass. I also go barefoot and have been stung by bees once or twice (not allergic. I am fully allergic to wasps, different venoms), and my doc always says, try wearing shoes? Heh.

Rob, we are SO different! hahaha I never go barefoot - I used to garden without gloves but since I discovered nitrile gloves, I am never without them. I also have to change positions a lot for some reason. I don't mind getting dirty but I don't love it. [g] But you must LOVE being outdoors that way so I'm sure you find it satisfying!

Hard to be a gardener with any kind of allergy, good thing you are not allergic to bees, but aren't wasps more likely to sting? Do you have to keep an epi pen handy?

I tend to have paper wasps all year long and they leave me alone? In autumn I get the more aggressive wasps that are white/yellow? striped and they only hang around my chimney (sealed off, but they do get in) and my windows. I kill them if they get inside my house. Post haste. I have epi stuff everywhere. My purse, at the house, and at work. I've only been stung once in my life, but it was NOT good.

ETA: I just now went downstairs to get a pot to put my parsley plants in, and there was a wasp struggling with a spider web. I managed to use a wooden skewer to get most of the web off, get the wasp onto it, and take it outside :)

prairiemoon..I like my plain wide seat..

my seat is ”sinking” too..the wheels are still fine..

the metal contoured seats on the ones they sell now seem awkward to me..

someday when I have to buy a new seat I might be forced to try one..

I really couldn’t garden without it..

Rob - Wow - I see wasps but not all the time and never in my house. I really dislike them, but tolerate them as long as they are not in abundance or becoming too interested in whatever I am doing in the garden. They do become my friends, when I have brassicas growing. They patrol the beds and do a good job on those tiny worms that make a mess of the foliage.

My front full sun bed used to have more perennials that interested them and we had paper wasps trying to build a nest in an overhang over the front door, but we kept knocking those off to avoid a problem coming in the front door.

I'm sorry you have to have that concern, but you do seem to have adapted to it very well!

Nichols - I will probably have to try the metal with the contoured seat at some point. They want over $100 for them right now. They do have features that might be useful and the wheels should move easily on most terrains, I anticipate though that the height change would be a difficult adjustment and might make it less likely it would be helpful for me. I suppose I could order it from somewhere with a generous return policy and try it out and see how I like it. I just thought of that.

prairiemoon..I saw one feature on a metal one that seems useful..a handle (like a wagon) so that you can pull it..mine needs to be carried..and mine is heavier since my husband added wood supports..

This is what I am using right now- they last about 10 years before the plastic degrades and dumps me on my butt.

I have the kneelers as well- my husband will use it but hands-and-knees doesn't work for me for some reason- this is my April through October position:

Nichols - I've seen those. I'll have to notice the weight. Mine is so light weight.

Cearbhaill - You are definitely getting your money's worth from that seat! lol Looks like it allows you to get out there and have a great time too!

This is what I used to have:

This is what I have now:

My 70+ year old knees just no longer work properly getting me up from so low to the ground! The kneeler seat is convertible and very lightweight but I only use it outside of any planting beds (did the same with the rolling cart also). If I need to work inside a bed planting, pruning or weeding, I just bend over :-) I have gardened upside down most of my gardening life 🤗

That's my garden seat! lol Not in that good a condition but still working. And I have the kneeler in the basement unused. I've been gardening this week without either and the winter was too long, I was just thinking how sore I am. Time for another shower. It was rainy here today so I was out of the garden, but tomorrow will be sunny and 50s. Can't miss a gorgeous day like that - have to get out there again. Hoping to be in garden shape soon.

I can't do kneeling either, cearbhaille - I get toe cramps. I am a squatter or just do a heap of bending over, legs slightly apart. Short body, back of steel...I come from robust peasant stock, well suited to tramping the steppes with a massive load of firewood or something like.I have a seat like yours, GG but have never found a way to use it effectively in the garden - the low seat is more or less the same as kneeling (so cramps) and if I turn it so the seat is higher, I kinda end up tipping off it, trying to get to the ground. I might have ridiculously short arms or summat. I do sit on it with a cup of tea.

PM -- I just messaged you!

I’m impressed that some of you can squat and kneel!..my seat..husband used a scrap of plywood with 2 pieces of 4x4 inch posts attached (think table)..he popped off the top..flipped the table dropped it in popped the top on..these supports have been in for a few years now..the plastic by the wheels is cracked..figure someday the wheels will fall off..

my kneeler/seat..there was a cushion glued to the underside of the seat..it fell off..see the wood handle(?) between the legs on the left? (right is out of view)..used to get up if kneeling..husband uses this to put on his garden tennis shoes..I bought those clogs for him..he uses those too..

gardengal and prairiemoon..I’ve seen that seat!..I think I had mine already so didn’t buy it..no longer available right?..neither is mine..

cearbhaill..your pics made me smile..Lol..you gave me an idea to consider just a stool without wheels..it’s worked for you..

Gardengal, i have that wheeled seat also. The only time i use it is along the driveway. You have to be careful of how you sit on it. It’s easy to flip backwards on it. Ask me how I know!

No worries, north53 :-) My rolling cart is long gone, several gardens ago now. Just as well as it was far too low to the ground for me to use easily.......I'd need a hand up to get back standing and I live and garden alone. Except for the dog and he is no help!

As I stated previously, I garden mostly bent over. I did use my kneeler seat today but I was repotting and cutting back some container plantings and was on solid ground.

"I’m impressed that some of you can squat and kneel!"

I practice all winter, seriously- third world squats every day. We even call them "garden squats."

Being able to continue gardening is pretty much the only real 'reason' I work out at all- it just hurts too much getting up and down if I do not.

gardening keeps me healthier and more flexible..

my next door neighbor said to me ”I don’t know how you get up and down on that seat all day”..

I NEED that seat but I do move around a lot..