Aging boomers dig ergonomic tools
March 22nd, 2008, 8:36 pm Hobby Shops
Will Raap, who in 1983 founded Gardener’s Supply, the big Vermont catalog company, based his business on “enabling” tools for people with physical limitations, mainly the disabled and elderly. But he has seen a resurgence in products such as his original Easy Kneeler that has handles that help people get up and down to garden. “It’s a pretty good example of a product that got a little slow; then when the boomers got a little tired they were interested,” said Raap, at 58 a boomer himself. His target customers are people who, like him, “get tired a little easier” but still want the exercise and satisfaction of gardening. Bruce Butterfield, NGA’s market research director, said boomer-friendly tools could boost the industry because gardening “becomes more fun if you’re not walking away with aches and pains.” Here’s a look at some of the latest tools and trends. Preparing soil Plants don’t grow well when the soil is compacted, so you need a way to dig and get more air and organic matter into it. For big landscaping projects, such as putting in a lawn or vegetable garden, you might need the big guns — a tiller to turn the soil or a coring machine to poke holes in it. Tiller: Traditional gas-powered machines pollute and are heavy. Newer electric tillers produce no carbon emissions and weigh less. A flame-colored electric tiller costs $249 at Gardener’s Supply. See gardeners.com. Digging: Long-handled shovels with a bigger flat area for the foot allow you to use more leg muscles as you dig. Some handles, such as those on shovels made by Fiskars, are shaped like an oversized “D” to make it easier to grip and reduce hand fatigue. Fiskars’ signature orange-handled tools are available at many retail stores. See fiskars .com. For smaller jobs, a bright red silicone-handled “soil scoop” selling for $24.95 at Gardener’s Supply has one serrated edge and a pointed tip designed to slice through roots and compacted soil and break up clay. Radius Garden makes a lightweight trowel with a chartreuse-colored handle curved to fit the palm and reduce wrist stress. It’s $12 to $15 online and at stores. See lifewithease.com or radiusgarden.com. Planting Whether you’re planting seeds, bulbs or sod, this task is usually harder than you think it will be. There’s a lot of bending and kneeling. One solution is to get a small, lightweight cart or a knee aid. Carts and stools: Home Depot sells a $34 Garden Rocker that, despite its name, is not a rocking chair but a contoured, adjustable seat; you can buy a $15 nonslip matching cushion with tool pockets. The company also sells a $39 kneeler aimed at reducing back strain. See homedepot .com. The $34.95 kneeler at Gardener’s Supply becomes a bench when you flip it. Smith %26amp; Hawken sells a $39 foldable kneeler at smithandhawken .com. The Garden Hopper, a rolling stool with an interior storage area, sells for $19.95 at activeforever.com. Wheelbarrows have moved beyond those old heavy metal contraptions. A big polyethylene cart at NGA’s garden shop sells for $199.95 and has a hinged mechanism that lets you tip the cart or tub for easier unloading. See nga-garden shop.stores.yahoo.net/index .html. Bulb planters: OXO, the “Good Grips” tool company, makes a quick-release bulb planter with a handle wide enough for both hands, to make it easier to dig. A lever replaces the soil after the bulb is planted, and sells for $12.99 at oxo.com. Maintenance Hand tools: Fiskars and OXO make ergonomic pruners, loppers, weeders and more. Several Fiskars pruners and loppers are approved by the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease-of-Use program. Check the company’s Web site. Lawnmowers: Neuton, a Vermont company, has a lightweight battery-powered mower that sells for less than $400. It’s nonpolluting and runs for up to an hour on a single charge. See drpower .com/CSTM_Neuton_Home .aspx. Feeding: The trend is away from chemicals that harm the environment. Organic products and composting are big. Smith %26amp; Hawken has a $129 Biostack Composter made of recycled polyethylene with bottomless tiers that it says makes turning the compost pile easier. Self-contained watering systems reduce your labor but can be complicated. Gardener’s Supply has a $79.95 solar power system that waters up to 20 plants at a time. It comes with a 4-inch-square solar panel, 15-foot cord, pump, tubing, drippers, stakes and mounting clamps, and can be used with water-soluble fertilizer. PHOTOS BY TOBY TALBOT/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO: A solar irrigation system with a pump makes watering a snap. The Gardener’s Supply Co. product waters up to 20 plants at a time.
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