June - 2002
Gardening for the disabled and
the less agile.
 As we
age our bodies become less supple and our strength diminishes, so we need to adapt our
gardens and gardening habits to enable us to meet our changing circumstances and special
needs. For some people with disabilities gardening will always have been a challenge and I
hope that I can give everyone some useful hints here. Further down this page I am
mentioning a bit about sensory gardens.
When we moved to our present house three years ago I was very mindful of
my own advancing years and the need to `wind down` a little, and with this in mind I
planned our large garden for easy maintenance. I planted some raised borders that could be
worked on without too much bending, and we have ramps instead of steps, which gives easy
access for wheelbarrows and wheelchair-bound visitors. The borders are filled with
evergreen shrubs, trees and plants, that are all chosen for their ease of maintenance, and
mulched with bark or compost to keep the weeds down. All paths and paved areas are
wide and non slip. It`s as near as I can get to an easy garden. Of course if my husband
had his way he would replace the lawn with concrete painted green, and dot some artificial
plants about!
I could fill several pages with information about this
subject, but will highlight some helpful hints and websites below:
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More help from these
websites below: |
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http://www.thrive.org.uk
the national horticultural charity that uses gardening to improve
the lives of disabled, disadvantaged and older people. |
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http://www.westons.com
for specialised gardening tools and equipment. A whole range of
gardening tools with secure on-line ordering and shipping worldwide. |
- Finally, enquire with your local authority to see if there are any
grants or help available. Often there are groups of volunteers
willing to help out.
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Have a look at http://www.thrive.org.uk
- Thrive is the national horticultural charity that uses gardening to improve the
lives of disabled, disadvantaged and older people. I have been spotlighting some news from
Thrive in my last three columns and you can read about them below:
International flower
artist arranges £1,842 for charity
Gardening is the nation`s
favourite pastime
Thrive in the morning with
GMTV appeal
Sensory Gardens
Sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Our five senses.. If any of
these senses has been lost or has diminished through illness or age, it is even more
important to stimulate the remaining sensations, and this is how a sensory garden can
help. Plants and materials chosen for their therapeutic potential need to have
multipurpose uses, and have interesting textures, sounds, scents, tastes and colours. They
also need to be able to adapt to the seasons.
Sight: In a sensory garden much use is made of colour for setting
the mood, with calming pastels in some areas and bold, hot colours to cheer people up, in
others. Flowers grown for picking have great benefit for people unable to go outside,
while providing enjoyment for those that can.
Sound: Sounds take on added importance in the sensory garden.
Bird song, wind in the tall grasses, running water, wind chimes, bees buzzing and all the
neighbourhood noises such as lawn mowers and dogs barking, are all summer sounds. And who
doesn`t get pleasure from walking on dry rustling leaves in the winter?
Smell: The different perfumes from flowers and shrubs is certain
to lift the spirits of most people, and Aromatic herbs such as Sage, the lemonade powder
scent of Golden Marjoram and the yellow Pineapple Sage will surely get mouths watering.
Get plenty of ideas and information for making your own sensory garden, by
visiting the following website:- www.sensorytrust.org.uk
Next month I will be spotlighting water
conservation and weeding.
Have a look at previous editions of Gardener`s Diary
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