As summer starts to transition to fall, one of the tasks your mom needs help with is garden clean-up. Your mom’s garden has produced well all summer, but plants are dying up. Your mom could use some helpers to get her beds ready for next year’s crops. She may also need some help with her daily chores and she could receive that by hiring home care providers.
Why Help Her?
Why would your mom need help? Your mom may find it easy to sit on a garden cart’s seat and weed and tend her plants, but it’s harder to walk around and get things done. If she doesn’t have help, what are the risks?
Gather the family to help out. Have someone move a wheelbarrow from the garden to her compost area. Grandchildren can carry the garden tools and bags of mulch.
Instead of having your mom try to do things on her own and fall or injure herself, be there to support her. Gather the family for a day of gardening and conversations, and end it with a family meal together.
Tasks That Need to Be Completed
The first step is to pick any remaining crops. Items can get blanched and frozen if there’s no more room in your mom’s vegetable bins. You can grate carrots or zucchini and freeze pre-measured portions for muffins and cakes.
Remove the plants and roots of any vegetables that have stopped producing. They can go to the compost pile or bin. Pull up weeds and move them to a fire pit or compost area that’s not for the vegetable gardens.
Turn the soil to aerate it before winter arrives. Once it’s aerated, put down a layer of mulch and compost that can break down further during the winter.
If your mom has raised beds, you could fill them with nutrient-rich garden soil now. Over the winter, the soil will settle and you can top it up when spring arrives.
Does your mom have any crops that have to be planted now? Some crops are planted in the fall so that they can appear in the spring. This includes crops like asparagus, rhubarb, and garlic. If she’s planning to grow them, plant them as soon as you’ve added compost and aerated the soil. Top them with mulch to add a protective layer between the soil and snow.
Home Care Aides can Support Your Mom With Household Chores and Self-Care
As fall and winter arrive, your mom may not be able to get outside as much. If she’s feeling isolated and housebound, it’s time to discuss having home care aides around to help her out.
When your mom has a home care aide with her, she’s able to talk to someone each day. She has a caregiver available to help her with housekeeping, transportation, and meals. Talk to our specialist in home care services to learn more about having caregivers to help your mom.
