A number of friends and family members are in therapy this summer.

Actually, so am I.

No, we're not spending our time lying on a psychologist's couch. Our venue of choice to reduce stress is the dirt.

Whether one pursues gardening for relaxation or for an opportunity to get some fresh air and moderate exercise, working in a garden is a gentle, satisfying form of natural therapy with both physical and emotional benefits.

Instead of doctor bills, we receive rewards after our outdoor therapy sessions: tasty herbs and vegetables for the dining room table, lush plants, colorful flowers and lovely butterflies, to mention just a few.

Even with my ongoing back and leg pain this year, I have been able to enjoy working in our backyard.

That's because horticulture is an activity that lends itself to adaptation.

With a little imagination and a few ingenious products, even people with physical limitations such as arthritis, can engage in gardening and have a good time out in the natural environment.

One tool that really works for me is a combination kneeler and seat. When I need to work at ground level, I kneel on its cushioned pad.

When I'm working with our many containers, I turn this implement upside down and sit on its seat, so I'm several feet off the ground.

Raised planting containers or raised beds can open up gardening to people with limited mobility, including persons in wheelchairs.

The higher beds mean less stretching and bending, which is perfect for older gardeners who have difficulty getting down on the ground (or getting back up again).

By using portable containers, we make gardening simpler and easier in other ways, too.

I grow all my herbs in various size pots and barrels. That way the plants don't get tangled up with other plants or overtaken by weeds.

The herbs can be moved easily if they need more or less sun. They can be hidden for a while after a serious pruning, until they start to grow back again.

If my herbs don't quite make it on the first try, I can replant. I usually keep some extra seeds for each herb I plant.

Another advantage of pots is that they can come indoors in the fall and keep producing their bounty.

Each year I find more creative implements to enable people with physical ailments to garden without suffering.

Instead of the combination kneeler/seat mentioned earlier, for example, some folks use a small stool placed at garden's edge to avoid stress on painful joints.

Some tools have extension or swivel handles to reduce the need for bending or for standing on a stepladder to reach climbing plants. I'm also seeing a lot more garden tools with padded, ergonomic handles for comfortable gripping.

Short-handled hoes and rakes are perfect to use from a sitting level. Long handles of regular tools can be cut short if a gardener does not want to invest in new tools.

Despite the typical aches and pains that plague our aging bodies, we still can revel in the dirt. Our limitations and infirmities should be thought of as challenges, not obstacles.

The pleasures and serenity of soil therapy can be reaped by all who enjoy being outdoors in the warm months, regardless of age or ability.

Try getting a little dirty sometime soon. Listen to happy bird songs while weeding or watering or transplanting or thinning garden plants.

Nature's therapy will produce a double benefit: both gardener and garden will flourish.