Accessible Gardening: Practical Matters for Physically Challenged Gardeners #17, 4 by Amargia

Amargia wrote:
Welcome to Practical Matters for Physically Challenged Gardeners #17. We came from here.http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1291474/
WEBSITES: Please let us know about any sites you have found especially helpful or if you found links invalid.
Thrive
http://www.carryongardening.org.uk/
-This site addresses gardening with various types of challenges. This website is based in the U.K... Some gardening vocabulary might be unfamiliar to U.S. gardeners. This is not a major issue, however. Highly recommended
-AgrAbility
http://fyi.uwex.edu/agrability/about/
AgrAbility is a program for disabled farmers and ranchers. The focus is on agriculture rather than horticulture. The link is to AgrAbility “About Us” page. If you need info such as how to get from a wheelchair into a pick-up truck, this is the place to go.

-Gardening from a wheelchair
http://www.mda.org/publications/quest/q31garden.html

BOOKS—All, except one. of these books are available in audio format from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. The exception is “Garden Unseen” which is only available in Braille at the time of this post. This list was compiled by a visually impaired person. There may be print books available that are not on the list. Please correct the oversight, if you know of any. The books in this list are, of course, also available in print and may be at your local library.
-Garden Unseen by L. Stevens
-Accessible Gardening for People with Physical Disabilities by Janeen R. Adil (We especially liked the list of recommended vegetables for containers and raised beds found in this book.)
-The Enabling Garden: A Guide to Lifelong Gardening by Gene Rothert--Written by a horticultural therapist employed at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It should be kept in mind that this book was written 17 years ago. Some of the information on raised bed building materials is outdated, but it is still worth reading since the author gardens from a wheelchair. He possesses both academic and first-hand knowledge.
-Gardening Through Your Golden Years by James W. Wilson
-Accessible Gardening: Tips & Techniques for Seniors by Joann Woy
Very comprehensive. No matter what problems advancing age is throwing at you to spoil your gardening fun, you should find a way to keep gardening in this book. Mobility limitations, visual impairment and more subtle issues such as balance are all addressed. Will possibly be updated later this year. .
--The Able Gardener: Overcoming Barriers of Age and Physical Limitations by Kathleen Yeoman
A good book for those new to gardening and those who garden on the west coast. Some information may be outdated, but much garden knowledge stands the test of time well.
Jim Wilson’s Container Gardening
This thread is about ways to keep on gardening and enjoying the outdoors despite any physical limitations.
The fall planting season has arrived and that seems like a good time to renew the Practical Matters thread.
A motorized scooter is definitely in Jim's future even though the doctor is still pushing keeping things manual. His arms and my legs are aching from getting him up and down paths. The paving on the main paths of the botanical garden are fine even for his everyday manual w/c, the elevation changes are another matter. The undulating landscape makes for an interesting garden space, but it is exhausting. Ideally, he needs 3 mobility devices. His everyday manual chair, an all-terrain w/c and a scooter for times when he wants to go out without sweat and strain. You gave us a good idea, Carrie. With Jim's fix-it-man leanings, we could buy a used scooter until Jim gets a better idea of what is out there and what features he wants.
Thanks, Turtle. He will want carrying space for tools, planting pots, etc.
I'm glad this one is out of our price range. lol. Jim would be having way too much fun with it.
http://www.actiontrackchair.com/
We've planted some cherry eleagnus and black mulberry seeds after putting the seeds through a cold treatment. Fingers crossed.
Photos: Visit to DBG