Gardening With Psoriatic Arthritis

I love gardening, and I love being in the fresh air when my feet and fingers are in the soil. Looking after and tending to the luscious green leaves and watching the new seedlings sprout. Watching flowers bloom after being dormant all winter and new herbs to cook with line my walls and windowsills. All of this makes me happy.

Psoriatic arthritis and its impact on hands

Having psoriatic arthritis in my hands has proved challenging over time and it has impacted some of the tasks that I do. Hobbies and things like that quickly went up in smoke. 

I am lucky to still have a lot of use in my hands, even if they are sore. A close friend of mine has less use, and she has had to change how she gardens. We sat together and worked on ways to make this work better for her. She loves gardening and wants to be in the garden as often as possible.

Finding strength in helping hands

This is where I often come in handy, and I cannot help as much or as often as I would like to. But by golly, when I can, I am there. Having a helping hand to do things your body does not want to cooperate with does make a big difference.

For my efforts, I get to hang out with a friend and often leave a fresh bunch of herbs for my kitchen. This is how we visit now, as we do not go out and hang out in bars and dance or have fancy lunches.

We work together to each other's strengths to make it work. I carry and lift what she cannot, and I help when her hands no longer want to cooperate.

Tips to make gardening comfortable

Getting off your knees can prove to be quite helpful. My friend has a great little stool that allows her to be low enough to get to her plants but in a position that does not put more pressure on her already sore body.

Compression gloves are my favorite for sore hands. They can be useful when gardening, especially if you are going to be at it for a while; I slip them under gardening gloves for support. It means I can garden for longer and not be totally useless the next week.

My momma has always said you can do anything as long as you have the right tools. Get all the things you need and make an easy way to transport them. It may be in a roller box with wheels, or it may be in a wheelbarrow. Just to stop you from needing to carry the individual tools up and down.

Installing lifted beds so that you no longer have to go down on your knees to work is also helpful, in particular for plants that need regular maintenance. I have seen this work well for herbs, vegetables, and flowers alike.

This can also be done on a balcony or in a much smaller space. Raised beds allow you to work from a comfortable height without having to get down on the ground.

Finding peace in gardening

The joy that gardening brings me far outweighs the effort it takes for me to do it. I also have some indoor plants that bring me such joy and require very little effort. They bring me peace and joy and allow me to work with my hands at a pace that allows me to not suffer.