Summer time finds us out in the garden tending to the beautiful plants and battling the pesky weeds (though some of the weeds are actually quite attractive). The lack of rain has kept the growth at bay a bit, but there are still plenty of jobs to do. In order to prevent you injuring yourself, here are some helpful nuggets of advice:

1) To avoid a repetitive strain injury, don’t carry on any one task for too long.
Do one thing for 15-30 minutes, do a bit of something else, then come back to it. For example, weed for a bit, hedge trim for a bit, mow for a bit; then repeat.

2) Stay hydrated! If you feel woozy when you stand up, you may be dehydrated. This can lead to confusion, slow reactions and headaches.

3) Wear a hat and stay out of the midday sun to prevent sunburn and heat stroke. It’s too easy to get carried away and stay out too long in order to complete the job at hand.

4) When moving plants, remember soil is heavy. Always get help lifting a plant into a wheel barrow, wheel it to its new location and get help positioning it. The same is true for potted plants. The weight of the plant+soil+pot is often greater than you expect.

5) Mind your back! Digging is very challenging for your back. Always bend your knees.