Easiest way to rennovate estalished perennial garden for a disabled gardener?

Cincinnati, OH(Zone 6a)

This is my first summer in a wheelchair. I've had a neurological disease for 8 years but have managed without a wheelchair until now. My perennial garden is well established but difficult to manage in a wheelchair. I have one 10' x 10' x 1'deep garden, a 3' x 7' border and 3 rows 2' x 7'. There is also a triangular shade garden in one corner of the yard. I don't know where to begin, I'm sure it will have to be rennovated a little bit at a time, especially because I need to depend on others for the hard labor. I think some type of master plan would help me get started. My passion for gardening is deeply rooted, so I'm not ready to hang up my shovel. Any ideas? Thanks, Zinnia

Philadelphia, PA(Zone 6b)

HI Zinnia,
Welcome to Daves Garden :) Your established gardens must be lovely. For your 10x10 area...some ideas might be: large container pots for your perennials around the edge of the bed, with an easy ground cover over the bed surface and perhaps a carefree ornamental shrub/tree in the middle. Can the other areas have a raised area put in, maybe by family, friends or scout group? If you go the container route, you can use large containers that would reach your sitting height or even raise smaller containers to sit upon cinder blocks/used tires/etc. Maybe stack some containers on those dollies with wheels.
I'm sure the suggestions will keep coming. I wish you better health and continued happiness with your gardens.
Trish

Santa Cruz, CA(Zone 9a)

I applaud your courage and determination to continue to garden. It seems like once we're bitten, nothing can take that away.

For your 10 x 10, perhaps you might consider sectioning it out into rows, smaller sections, or even a maze design so that your wheelchair can access all the plants.

Santa Barbara, CA

Zinnia,

Are you restricted to the chair or could you manage to switch to a lower-profiled scooter or wagon for garden work? Also can you raise the beds, or lower the paths, to give you better access to the beds. The suggestions about using containers are great, giving you opportunities to do gardening with some degree of ease while leaving the intervening spaces for the more carefree perennials.

I have landscaped and continue to maintain a small retirement home for mostly semiambulatory elders. So I have incorporated raised beds and tallish containers for those who like to putter or harvest strawberries, beans, tomatoes, flowers, and so on. Most of the elders have motor difficulties so most hand tools are not well designed for their abilities. Any ideas along those lines?

markleysburg, PA(Zone 5a)

Marshseed I have been thinking abbout your question about tools. Does anyone out there know about tools aimed at gardening > The links given in another post were marvelous-anyone else have any ideas?

markleysburg, PA(Zone 5a)

This is a crazy question but then I do throw them out once in awhile. I read about the master gardeners program everywhere here. and they have to do so many volunteer hours and part of their learning I think is about landscaping and garden plans???? Would they also be allowed to do part of their volunteer time working with folks who need a little direction for things like you need Zinnia? Any MGs out there???

Santa Barbara, CA

A lot of MG programs require time spent helping cooperative extension programs (usually information aspects). It took a year for my daughter to get an MG for her school garden program and that was a one-time shot and of little help. In my town, MG do work at the local botanic garden and do help with some school garden programs but I have heard of no private "projects." I'll ask around.

Newark, OH(Zone 5b)

I know what you mean, Marshseed; I'm a master gardener in Ohio and when I asked if I could count hours I might spend on a community project I'd been considering, I was told I could not. There was logical reason: There are some ongoing, established projects in town and they're scrambling to get people to commit to those. They just can't afford to pull people away from them in order to sanction another. Many of the folks are already spreading themselves pretty thin in our neck of the woods. But that's sure a good idea, Marclay!

Hillsboro, OH(Zone 6a)

Hi Zinnia,
I wrote to you not long ago to let you know I am in Cincinnati too. I had no idea of your predicament, not that it really changes things on my end. I would still love to meet you or trade with you. I know others who garden through difficulties and some things that can work, is raising your beds up to three feet tall and keep them four feet wide or less. Instead of spending a lot of money on dirt, you can fill the bottom with rocks or two litre bottles. I would be willing to help you out too. That's what friends are for-even the ones you don't know...yet. Let me know if you need help with weeding, pruning, moving plants whatever.
Michele

Longview, TX

Marclay,
I am a master gardener from Tx. We can do different projects if we choose to. We probably have more MG here...so they dont mind some going off in different areas. I am disabled myself. I have had problems with arrythmias that resulted in two heart procedures. I am on disability. I just cannot do heavy work, or work for too long at a time. If it is too hot, I wait until it cools. My yard looks horrible in the summer. I have someone to mow for me. But the weeds can take over. On a cool day I try to do weeding then. *like after a rain*
Good luck, and keep gardening!

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