How do you dig if you're weak?

[DenholmElliot1]

I'm late 50's and very small with not much strength in my arms but want to plant some shrubs and bulbs.

I really really struggle with digging though. Is there any kind of device that you would recommend that would do the digging for me so to speak?

TIA.

You can get a garden auger for your drill which costs about £13 on amazon. Its hust a big specially designed drill bit. I manage to use one with both hands I have arthritis in my hands. My soil is like rock. What you can also do is get someone to come and rotovate your bed that makes planting so much easier. There is a special manual tool that makes planting super easy but unfortunately they don't export to UK. I've asked.

I use a hori hori knife for small scale digging. It's a smaller profile which makes it easier to get into the soil and hurts my wrists less.

I use a twisty pokey thing. Like a garden fork, but the prongs are stubby and in a twisted triangle.

You drop it in and twist it back and forth. It chews the soil up.

Good fork first to loosen things up, then you’ll find it easier to get the spade in.

Pay someone else to do it

I have a Matlock - it's quite heavy so as long as I manage to lift it the weight of the head goes quite far in. We have stones ground impossible to dig.
Mine is a heavy one like the pic - most sold now look too lightweight.

I think that a mattock would be too much for OP if she struggles with digging, they are quite tiring to use and I'm built like Patsy Potter. Equally if you struggle with digging then forking over the ground first is just as challenging. Tbh the best solution is probably getting someone else to do it. Local papers/newsagents' windows might advertise local jobbing gardeners, or Facebook. Or ask around for a personal recommendation.

Short term - for bulbs get a long handled bulb planter like these www.google.com/search?q=long+handled+bulb+planter&rlz=1C1DIMC_enGB867GB867&sxsrf=ALiCzsaySyQMbZfdgh1q9vTmCmbpOiiS2A:1662475578302&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_mquStID6AhU2QUEAHdyUB7gQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1700&bih=761&dpr=1.13 that you can step on the same way as you'd use a spade. For planting small plants, an auger of some sort. For shrubs, get someone else in because you need to loosen the soil in a bigger area than you think in order for them to get away well.

Long term - I highly, highly recommend going no dig as explained here charlesdowding.co.uk/start-here/. You will need cardboard, lots of organic matter and patience. But in time you will have loose, fertile soil that you can easily get into with a hand trowel. My no dig beds were watered precisely twice in this year's hot summer and have given me a huge yield of potatoes, beans etc because the soil structure is so good.