We want your garden to be a place where you can relax and enjoy it as much as possible. Gardens come with the occasional tripping hazard, but that shouldn’t deter you from spending time outdoors.
While there may be hazards in your garden, there are ways to avoid them, which we have covered below.
Sort Out Your Paths and Patios First
Here in Ayrshire, paths and patios take a bit of a battering thanks to the weather, making them a common cause of falls.
Make sure to check for cracked or lifted paving slabs, gaps that have opened up over time, and any dips where water tends to collect. Even a small lip of half an inch between two slabs is enough to catch a foot or a walking stick.
Moss and algae are another big one, especially on north-facing paths that don’t get much sun. A stiff brush and a proper patio cleaner, a couple of times a year, will keep the green stuff under control. If a path is beyond a simple clean, it might be worth having it re-laid or replaced with a smoother, more even surface.
Keep Walkways Clear
It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to let things pile up along a garden path without really noticing. Hosepipes left out after watering, plant pots that have crept into the walkway, garden tools leaning against a wall, all of these are trip hazards waiting to happen. Try to get into the habit of doing a quick tidy-up after each session in the garden, and coil hoses back onto a reel rather than leaving them stretched across the grass.
Overgrown plants can be just as much of a problem. A lovely, bushy shrub might be spilling over onto the path without you realising, narrowing the walkway and hiding uneven ground underneath. A regular trim keeps borders looking tidy and your paths properly usable.
Light the Way
Evenings draw in early for a lot of the year here, and poor lighting is a major factor in outdoor falls. Solar lights along the edge of a path are a cheap and easy way to mark out the route, and they’ve come a long way in recent years in terms of brightness. If you have steps anywhere in the garden, make sure each one is clearly lit and, ideally, edged in a contrasting colour so they stand out at dusk.
Think About Steps and Level Changes
Steps between different parts of a garden are useful, but they’re also one of the most common places for a stumble. Where possible, add a secure handrail, even on just a couple of steps. If steps are steep or awkward, a gently sloped ramp can be a much safer alternative, particularly for anyone using a wheelchair, walker, or mobility scooter to get around the garden.
Footwear
This one’s easy to overlook, but wearing good footwear with a good grip while out in the garden makes a genuine difference. Gardening in slippers or bare feet might feel comfortable, but it takes away a lot of the stability you need on damp grass or slabs.
A Few Changes Can Help
You don’t need to redo the whole garden in one weekend. Start with the areas used most, like the route from the back door to the washing line or the bin store, and work outward from there. Little by little, these small changes add up to a garden that’s far safer to enjoy, whatever the weather’s doing.
If you or a family member needs any extra support getting around at home or in the garden, whether that’s a walking aid, a mobility scooter, or advice on ramps, our team at Thistle Help is always happy to help. Just give us a call or pop into our Irvine showroom for a friendly chat.
Recent Comments