My husband and I are also at that point of doing as much as we can, and only occasionally hiring somebody to help out when we're desperate. Getting old is not for the faint of heart. We do have an HOA, but it has very few requirements about one's property. Just basic things like no shooting allowed, and no trailer houses, and no junk cars sitting around. Nobody cares if we don't mow our "lawn", which is mostly weeds, anyway.
RE: Gardening is Good for the Soul!