Accessible Gardening:More Resources for Enabled Gardening/ Lifelong Gardening

lia Jul 22, 2001

More Resources for Enabled Gardening/ Lifelong Gardening:

[1] http://cat.buffalo.edu/newsletters/garden.htm

Center for Assistive Technology - Newsletter Insert Series #15 - Article: 'Hoe, Hoe, Hoe - Gardening is for Everyone.'

[2] http://www.hort.vt.edu/human/adapt.html

Article: 'Adaptations to Horticultural Tools' - by Linda L. Geoghegan and Jane A. Walsh, Recreation Therapist through a grant from the Virginia Assistive Technology System.

[3] http://www.awc.net/notstooped/therapeutic.html

Website of The NOT STOOPED Garden Tools company of Denver - 'Dedicated to Developing Garden Tools that make it easier and more enjoyable to do garden and lawn Chores while Stooping, Kneeling, Squatting, Crawling or Standing' -- and, presumably, while sitting! This interesting company specially modifies a variety of garden hand tools. Each costs only $7.90. Wheelchair users or anyone else who gardens in fairly high raised beds or containers, or people with limited grip or limited hand/arm mobility, might want to check out this website.

[4] http://www.hort.vt.edu/human/human.html and http://www.hort.vt.edu/human/HortTher1l.html

HIH, or Human Issues in Horticulture, is a fairly new and wide concept encompassing not only topics such as enabled gardening and horticultural therapy, but also 'many other areas of people-plant interaction equally important in understanding the role of horticulture in addressing special populations.'

[5] http://www.abs.sdstate.edu/ae/agrability/rat/lg_resources.htm#books

Lists a number of excellent books for enabled gardening (for physically challenged persons, senior citizens, etc). I highly recommend getting at least one of these, whether or not you currently have a 'disability.' The ideas and solutions can enlighten us as gardeners to the problems many of our relatives, neighbors, and friends may be facing right now or very soon. And eventually all of us are going to develop some sort of limitation to our gardening ability simply due to age, not even considering the effect of possible injuries or diseases.

[6] http://www.abs.sdstate.edu/ae/agrability/disablitiy_links.html

Various links to general and gardening-specific information for the physically challenged, seniors, etc. This website, not yet completed, is apparently part of a South Dakota program called 'Agrability.' If you're interested in this type of program or anything else related to enabled/ lifelong gardening, do check for information or programs in your own state. Visit or call your county extension service, or the horticultural department of your state university -- especially your land-grant or tech university. In many states it's the one that was once called the A&M or the agricultural college. Just in case you didn't realize it, your county extension service is indeed a free or low-cost community 'extension' of your state university, disseminating general and scientific info gained from university-level and official state programs, research, studies, field projects, etc. Not just in agriculture and horticulture but also in a variety of other useful areas.

[7] http://geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/1391/disabled.html

Susan's Disabled Gardening Page - a helpful, inspiring, beautiful garden website with pictures, from an undaunted gardener with physical challenges.

[8] http://www.gardenforever.com/

'Gardening for people of all ages, abilities and lifestyles' - many helpful articles and links.

[9] http://homearts.com/depts/garden/gro019f1.htm

Another article on 'Enabling Tools' - One reason this topic is frequently seen and very important is that it could help us all NOW in preventing garden-related physical injuries or conditions, allowing us to garden more easily and more productively for longer. This author gives only snailmail addresses for garden-tool sources which may sell specialized and/or unusual garden tools. At least some of the sources mentioned in the article have online catalogs now, as well as print catalogs. One example is the excellent home gardening and professional-nursery supplier A.M. Leonard, now at www.amleo.com -- try any good websearh engine to locate others mentioned.