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Physically handicapped Denver gardeners will be glad to know there is a gardening technique for them. A wheelchair accessible raised bed garden is quite simple to construct. Physically handicapped gardeners no longer have to give up their favorite pastime.
The Table
To construct a wheelchair accessible raised bed garden, you will need a cheap banquet table. Bring the table outdoors and choose a permanent sunny location where it will be accessible from all sides. More than one table may be used for avid physically handicapped gardeners.
Stabilizing
Loosen the soil where the legs of the banquet table sit. Push the legs of the future wheelchair accessible raised bed garden into the ground until the ground meets the horizontal bar of the legs. Pack soil down around the legs to create a stable garden for physically handicapped gardeners.
Accessibility
The raised bed garden surface should now be about 6 inches lower than a normal table. This is plenty of room for a wheelchair to slide under. Handicapped gardeners should be able to easily reach the garden from either side.
Construction Options
There are two ways to construct the wheelchair accessible raised bed garden. One is to use actual pots. The other is to build a square frame box, open on top, which fits perfectly on the tabletop. Physically handicapped gardeners may need help with construction.
Mounting Small Pots
When using pots, there are two ways to mount them. Smaller pots may be screwed into the table top. Drainage holes must be drilled through the raised bed garden table under and through each small pot.
Mounting Large Pots
Larger pots will have to extend below the surface. This is accomplished by cutting a hole one inch smaller than the top rim of a ceramic pot in the table and simply inserting the pot. The rim of the gardening pot should hold it in place.
Sizing the Box
When building the square frame box, keep in mind that it must be deep enough for soil but shallow enough for physically handicapped gardeners to reach over from both sides of the table. The box is attached by screwing it to the wheelchair accessible garden table.
Box Drain Holes
Once the box is firmly attached to the wheelchair accessible garden and weatherproofed, drain holes will need to be drilled. Physically handicapped gardeners may be able to accomplish this step or they may need help. Drill holes through both the box and the table simultaneously for drainage.
Ready to Plant
The wheelchair accessible garden table is now complete and ready for planting. Fill the pots or the box with proper soil mix for raised bed gardening. Physically handicapped gardeners will enjoy this raised bed gardening table whether or not they are wheelchair bound.
Note : Pots or flats may also be simply placed on the table. Securing them provides better stability for physically handicapped gardeners.
Comments
Thank you for covering this topic, Jaipi! So many columnists ignore the needs of the handicapped. I very much appreciate you providing such a detailed article addressing those needs! Excellent work!
My son built a box for me on my back porch which allows me to garden. I don't have a wheelchair, but I'm not able to walk down into the yard from my porch. I can walk onto the porch and sit beside the box, which is about 4' long, 2' wide and 2 1/2' high. What a joy to play in the dirt and grow plants again! And, of course, I have some large pots on the porch, too.
Thanks for the great advice.
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