This Article Was Printed in Grass Roots Magazine
No 181 In 2007.
An ‘Ability Garden’ For Those With Disabilities.
Many of us suffer from a disability personally, or someone close to us suffers from one. However, many of us also want to live the Grass Roots life style despite the obvious challenges it will bring.
Perhaps the disability is physical, emotional, auditory, visual or a combination of them. Some people may have lived with the problem for a lifetime while others, especially aging ‘ hippy baby boomers’ like us, will have felt Father Time tapping ever harder on their shoulders, necks, backs etc as they grow older.
Whatever the disability there are ways to help the person enjoy the garden and receive satisfaction from being an active participant in the self sufficient life style.
Producing healthy organically grown vegetables and fruit can be one of the most satisfying occupations and as our petrol prices rise ever upwards leading to higher costs in our grocery bills, we will appreciate our own home grown produce more each time we visit a supermarket.
Simple tasks in the garden need not become obstacles and the therapeutic affects of working and enjoying the delights of nature don’t have to be lost. There are some extremely helpful internet sites which list tools designed and available to Australians for people with all types of disabilities. In most major town there are health professionals who will be able to assist in putting a person in touch with shops and business who specialize in special needs tools and implements. Sometimes a little bit if G.R practicability can alter and adapt tools we already own.
It is important when designing a garden to keep it in a scale in keeping with the abilities of the gardener. My husband and I used to have a few acres but as my ability to work in the garden has diminished and he is ‘maturing nicely’, we made the difficult choice to move to a smaller quarter acre block in town.
I did regret it initially and missed the old garden and its years of memories enormously. However I kept reminding myself that when I worked as hard as I could for an entire day in the bigger place, I could barely see the day’s achievements as I looked about and saw all there was still to be done. It left me with the feeling that I never really had it under control or finished.
Now in the smaller garden, we can work for an hour and know we have made a difference. We can even take time to sit back and enjoy it and watch the birds and insects ( and occasional reptile) that share it with us. It’s the old saying over again ‘don’t bite off more than you can chew!” Commonsense must apply where your health and quality of life is concerned.
These are a few of the fundamentals we have worked out during the past four years in our new place.
Because bending to weed and plant seeds and seedlings is so difficult, we have planned built up vegetable gardens and raised flower and herb gardens in such a way as to allow easy weeding. We found that the ideal height for beds must enable the gardener to be able to reach the centre of the bed easily.
Pathways have been a big consideration and we have thought long and hard and planned for the future.
We have concluded they should be wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, walking frames and people using walking sticks. This may not be a necessity now but could be in the future. Why waste time and money now on paths that a few years ahead you may need to alter again? Look ahead, it isn’t pessimism, its facing reality, we all get older and frailer. The paths should be smooth and non slip especially during times of rain or frost. Different paths could be used to allow people with vision problems to feel and hear the changes. (Perhaps from gravel to stone.) Hand rails need to be fitted at intervals to allow a person to rest or steady themselves. Seats in different places are also a necessity and afford pleasure at different seasons of the year if well placed. Steps should be marked clearly and if they can be eliminated and replaced with ramps, so much the better.
If you use planter boxes or pots, it is a sensible idea to have them placed on wheels to allow for cleaning under them and assist with moving.
Choosing your garden plants is most important. Take into account the future growth and habit of the plant. Don’t buy and plant on impulse, it could lead to years of problems. Small eucalypts for instance can grow into limb dropping, beautiful specimens that belong in the forests or at least a long way from your home and away from other buildings and vehicles during a wind storm. I have seen only this month the enormous damage to property that a single inappropriately placed tree can do to people’s homes. The height of some of these can easily be underestimated. When they fall, they have a long reach.
Some trees and plants such as vines need annual pruning. If this is beyond your abilities and you can’t afford to pay someone to do the job for you, then find another plant. Care should be exercised with some herbs and self seeding plants. They can get away from you and start infesting areas of you garden where you don’t want them creating a constant weeding problem and your own private environmental nuisance. During the 70’ many people used Wandering Jew as a ground cover and have lived long enough to regret it. Mint, achylia, yarrow, lupin, the dreaded ivy! There are dozens in the list of plants that if they are allowed to run or seed freely will be a major problem. I have read in history books of our area, that the Ovens Valley in Victoria became over run with St Johns Wort when a well meaning lady using it for medicinal reasons, allowed it to escape. So check with your local nurseries and environment experts if you are unsure if the plants you are choosing are suitable for your area.
For the vision impaired, use different textures and scents. Keeping shrubs and trees clipped sufficiently to prevent these people from having their faces hit by low growing plants is most important. Fallen branches and twigs also present a hazard.
Some trees have their own special individual sound or ‘music’ as I call it, when the wind blows the leaves. An alert ear can, after some practice, pick up the individual sounds of various species. Native grasses and reeds make whispering sounds in the breeze. It can be a magic experience even for those of us who just sit and shut our eyes and listen.
If you can afford someone to mow the grass and you are happy to pay for the water bills fine, but we are getting rid of ours under, mulch, paving, and ground covers. We don’t want to have to afford the water, petrol, mower costs or the constant effort involved. I also intend for the nature strip to eventually be covered under drought tolerant ground covers.
Eliminating the need to get on ladders and reaching with potentially dangerous implements is something we are trying to avoid. Of course gutters must be cleaned and there will always be a need to have some small tasks done but eliminating all you can is sensible.
Fruit trees are a must for us, so we have purposely chosen special ones in the new dwarf varieties, in apples and peaches and we have espaliered our fig and plums and kept the apricots, nectarines and pears to a manageable hight. The plums are used to keep the sun off the west veranda of the house, as well as provide fruit. Grafted trees can give you two or three varieties from one stock root if space is a concern.
Use safe, well maintained equipment that doesn’t stress your body. Simple tools are often still the best to keep close by. Tie a string to things that you may drop, then you can reel it in instead of having to bend over.
Mechanical seeders are on the market but I find mixing the seeds with sand helps me to see where they have been planted and allows even distribution. Bigger seeds such as beans, peas and corn etc can be sown by dropping them through a small plumbing pipe. This helps to place them exactly where I want them without having to bend.
A bush house or hot house is a wonderful place for anyone who loves to spend time raising seedlings and taking cuttings. It can be a refuge from the elements and will always provide interest. The benches etc need to be built at appropriate levels and a work table where you can sit comfortably is ideal
Ensure you have good exterior lighting for the times when you need to be out after dark. Walking to the chook shed in the dusk or early morning has its hazards. And if you may be likely to slip or are not too steady on your feet, have a whistle hanging near the door (and your hat) so you remember to put both on and then you have it to use in case help is needed. I good friend of mine slipped on wet clay, broke a leg in two places and was lying in the rain for two hours. Her family thought she had gone for a walk. A whistle would have attracted someone’s attention much sooner and saved a lot of trauma.
Hanging plants can be counterbalanced to allow for easy watering and weeding. This works really well for strawberries etc.
Take the trouble and time to install easily maintained watering systems. They save time, money and effort.
An apron with pockets for various things such as secateurs, ties, packets etc can be adapted for a wheel chair or walking frame. It can of course, also carry your mobile phone instead of dropping it out of your pocket into the worm farm like I did.
Scented plants are everyone’s favourite. Lavender, herbs, mock orange, fresh fruit, lovely fresh tomatoes and melons and the beautiful smell of fresh healthy soil is a joy to all.
The birds your small bit of paradise will attract will reward you each day.
Make a place for eating and relaxing within easy reach of the house if you can. It allows access on days when moving about is difficult. When a person suffers constant and chronic pain, the temptation is always there to stay indoors in a comfortable chair and not move about. If you have somewhere with easy access outside or on a veranda where it is possible to sit and watch the activity of the animals, birds and insects (or even someone else’s activity) the day somehow seems to be better. Well it does for me, so I think it would for many people.
Watching television may be good at times but the little dramas and pleasures of our garden can be just as enthralling. I may not always be able to take part in the work, although I’m usually excellent at giving gratuitous advice, I am able to do enough to enjoy the knowledge of knowing I have contributed just a little to the greening of the earth and my own better health.
The End.(C)
Many of us suffer from a disability personally, or someone close to us suffers from one. However, many of us also want to live the Grass Roots life style despite the obvious challenges it will bring.
Perhaps the disability is physical, emotional, auditory, visual or a combination of them. Some people may have lived with the problem for a lifetime while others, especially aging ‘ hippy baby boomers’ like us, will have felt Father Time tapping ever harder on their shoulders, necks, backs etc as they grow older.
Whatever the disability there are ways to help the person enjoy the garden and receive satisfaction from being an active participant in the self sufficient life style.
Producing healthy organically grown vegetables and fruit can be one of the most satisfying occupations and as our petrol prices rise ever upwards leading to higher costs in our grocery bills, we will appreciate our own home grown produce more each time we visit a supermarket.
Simple tasks in the garden need not become obstacles and the therapeutic affects of working and enjoying the delights of nature don’t have to be lost. There are some extremely helpful internet sites which list tools designed and available to Australians for people with all types of disabilities. In most major town there are health professionals who will be able to assist in putting a person in touch with shops and business who specialize in special needs tools and implements. Sometimes a little bit if G.R practicability can alter and adapt tools we already own.
It is important when designing a garden to keep it in a scale in keeping with the abilities of the gardener. My husband and I used to have a few acres but as my ability to work in the garden has diminished and he is ‘maturing nicely’, we made the difficult choice to move to a smaller quarter acre block in town.
I did regret it initially and missed the old garden and its years of memories enormously. However I kept reminding myself that when I worked as hard as I could for an entire day in the bigger place, I could barely see the day’s achievements as I looked about and saw all there was still to be done. It left me with the feeling that I never really had it under control or finished.
Now in the smaller garden, we can work for an hour and know we have made a difference. We can even take time to sit back and enjoy it and watch the birds and insects ( and occasional reptile) that share it with us. It’s the old saying over again ‘don’t bite off more than you can chew!” Commonsense must apply where your health and quality of life is concerned.
These are a few of the fundamentals we have worked out during the past four years in our new place.
Because bending to weed and plant seeds and seedlings is so difficult, we have planned built up vegetable gardens and raised flower and herb gardens in such a way as to allow easy weeding. We found that the ideal height for beds must enable the gardener to be able to reach the centre of the bed easily.
Pathways have been a big consideration and we have thought long and hard and planned for the future.
We have concluded they should be wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, walking frames and people using walking sticks. This may not be a necessity now but could be in the future. Why waste time and money now on paths that a few years ahead you may need to alter again? Look ahead, it isn’t pessimism, its facing reality, we all get older and frailer. The paths should be smooth and non slip especially during times of rain or frost. Different paths could be used to allow people with vision problems to feel and hear the changes. (Perhaps from gravel to stone.) Hand rails need to be fitted at intervals to allow a person to rest or steady themselves. Seats in different places are also a necessity and afford pleasure at different seasons of the year if well placed. Steps should be marked clearly and if they can be eliminated and replaced with ramps, so much the better.
If you use planter boxes or pots, it is a sensible idea to have them placed on wheels to allow for cleaning under them and assist with moving.
Choosing your garden plants is most important. Take into account the future growth and habit of the plant. Don’t buy and plant on impulse, it could lead to years of problems. Small eucalypts for instance can grow into limb dropping, beautiful specimens that belong in the forests or at least a long way from your home and away from other buildings and vehicles during a wind storm. I have seen only this month the enormous damage to property that a single inappropriately placed tree can do to people’s homes. The height of some of these can easily be underestimated. When they fall, they have a long reach.
Some trees and plants such as vines need annual pruning. If this is beyond your abilities and you can’t afford to pay someone to do the job for you, then find another plant. Care should be exercised with some herbs and self seeding plants. They can get away from you and start infesting areas of you garden where you don’t want them creating a constant weeding problem and your own private environmental nuisance. During the 70’ many people used Wandering Jew as a ground cover and have lived long enough to regret it. Mint, achylia, yarrow, lupin, the dreaded ivy! There are dozens in the list of plants that if they are allowed to run or seed freely will be a major problem. I have read in history books of our area, that the Ovens Valley in Victoria became over run with St Johns Wort when a well meaning lady using it for medicinal reasons, allowed it to escape. So check with your local nurseries and environment experts if you are unsure if the plants you are choosing are suitable for your area.
For the vision impaired, use different textures and scents. Keeping shrubs and trees clipped sufficiently to prevent these people from having their faces hit by low growing plants is most important. Fallen branches and twigs also present a hazard.
Some trees have their own special individual sound or ‘music’ as I call it, when the wind blows the leaves. An alert ear can, after some practice, pick up the individual sounds of various species. Native grasses and reeds make whispering sounds in the breeze. It can be a magic experience even for those of us who just sit and shut our eyes and listen.
If you can afford someone to mow the grass and you are happy to pay for the water bills fine, but we are getting rid of ours under, mulch, paving, and ground covers. We don’t want to have to afford the water, petrol, mower costs or the constant effort involved. I also intend for the nature strip to eventually be covered under drought tolerant ground covers.
Eliminating the need to get on ladders and reaching with potentially dangerous implements is something we are trying to avoid. Of course gutters must be cleaned and there will always be a need to have some small tasks done but eliminating all you can is sensible.
Fruit trees are a must for us, so we have purposely chosen special ones in the new dwarf varieties, in apples and peaches and we have espaliered our fig and plums and kept the apricots, nectarines and pears to a manageable hight. The plums are used to keep the sun off the west veranda of the house, as well as provide fruit. Grafted trees can give you two or three varieties from one stock root if space is a concern.
Use safe, well maintained equipment that doesn’t stress your body. Simple tools are often still the best to keep close by. Tie a string to things that you may drop, then you can reel it in instead of having to bend over.
Mechanical seeders are on the market but I find mixing the seeds with sand helps me to see where they have been planted and allows even distribution. Bigger seeds such as beans, peas and corn etc can be sown by dropping them through a small plumbing pipe. This helps to place them exactly where I want them without having to bend.
A bush house or hot house is a wonderful place for anyone who loves to spend time raising seedlings and taking cuttings. It can be a refuge from the elements and will always provide interest. The benches etc need to be built at appropriate levels and a work table where you can sit comfortably is ideal
Ensure you have good exterior lighting for the times when you need to be out after dark. Walking to the chook shed in the dusk or early morning has its hazards. And if you may be likely to slip or are not too steady on your feet, have a whistle hanging near the door (and your hat) so you remember to put both on and then you have it to use in case help is needed. I good friend of mine slipped on wet clay, broke a leg in two places and was lying in the rain for two hours. Her family thought she had gone for a walk. A whistle would have attracted someone’s attention much sooner and saved a lot of trauma.
Hanging plants can be counterbalanced to allow for easy watering and weeding. This works really well for strawberries etc.
Take the trouble and time to install easily maintained watering systems. They save time, money and effort.
An apron with pockets for various things such as secateurs, ties, packets etc can be adapted for a wheel chair or walking frame. It can of course, also carry your mobile phone instead of dropping it out of your pocket into the worm farm like I did.
Scented plants are everyone’s favourite. Lavender, herbs, mock orange, fresh fruit, lovely fresh tomatoes and melons and the beautiful smell of fresh healthy soil is a joy to all.
The birds your small bit of paradise will attract will reward you each day.
Make a place for eating and relaxing within easy reach of the house if you can. It allows access on days when moving about is difficult. When a person suffers constant and chronic pain, the temptation is always there to stay indoors in a comfortable chair and not move about. If you have somewhere with easy access outside or on a veranda where it is possible to sit and watch the activity of the animals, birds and insects (or even someone else’s activity) the day somehow seems to be better. Well it does for me, so I think it would for many people.
Watching television may be good at times but the little dramas and pleasures of our garden can be just as enthralling. I may not always be able to take part in the work, although I’m usually excellent at giving gratuitous advice, I am able to do enough to enjoy the knowledge of knowing I have contributed just a little to the greening of the earth and my own better health.
The End.(C)
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