Plants are cool people. Damn cool. Some proof: After breaking my neck, sometimes the only thing that would keep me warm during the icy grips of a Minnesota winter was a visit to the Como Park Conservatory. Everything – the orchids, ferns, palm trees – combined with the 80+ humid air, was like a xxx-sized dose of Prozac. It was awesome. I don’t care if liking plants made me seem like an old lady. I went there a lot, and loved every minute of it.
I now live in a condo with a balcony; a balcony that’s been woefully absent of greenery….until now. I am determined to make my balcony a haven this summer; a mini conservatory if you will, right off my patio door. Of course gardening from a wheelchair isn’t the way God intended humans to garden, so to beat your odds, you must bring the earth UP to you – from planters and vertical gardens to anything else you can think of.
Here are some of the standout adapted gardening techniques I discovered while researching for my much anticipated adapted balcony garden (set to debut in about 2 weeks!). Enjoy!
- Raised beds: A raised bed is the most common way to bring the soil level to a reachable level for someone using
a wheelchair. Raised beds are typically built by the gardener or someone they know, as they can be tricky to find for sale anywhere (a downside). A proper raised bed will be a “bottomless” box, containing large amounts of soil that are able to drain into the earth below. Vegetables are usually used in raised beds since they require more soil depth than flowers or herbs (12” – 18” inches usually). Here’s a fellow who’s creating some beautiful redwood raised beds that I covet hardcore.
- Containers: Other than doing the raised bed thing, which does require a certain amount of construction work, a container is an easier way to get the gardening action up at your level without having to stress about creating a raised bed. Containers of every size imaginable, from window boxes to planters with a wine glass-like stem (very Roman-era), can be found at gardens sections in places like Home Depot and Lowes. You can even get crazily creative and use ANYTHING as a container for your plants, from stacking up old tires to using old whiskey boxes. Sometimes the weirder the container the better. What a better conversation piece than seeing an old beer box as a planter for your friends red Geraniums?
- Vertical gardens: Climbing vines up a pretty white trellis is the perfect description of what vertical gardening can be. And while people in tiny living spaces commonly use vertical gardens to their employ, people who use wheelchairs should also look into the benefits of vertical gardens. With the right plants and proper structure for which to thrive, you can create a blooming masterpiece at any level. Simply throw up some trellis against a wall, or free-standing, or anywhere else you please, and voila, you’re set to go. Vines are the ideal plant for trellis-growing. Wisteria, Climbing Hydrangea, and Trumpet Creeper are vines that will bloom beautiful flowers. Here’s a fabulous vertical gardening site that’ll make you an expert on the subject faster than a rose will wilt: Vertical Gardening.
- Tools: And I can’t forget to mention the cool gardening tools available. The ergonomic-friendly Circlehoe, makes bending over to weed as simple as reaching for your drink. And the Natural Radius Grip Ergonomic Garden Tools (including a weeder, cultivator, and two trowels) have curved plastic handles, perfect for anyone with gripping problems.
Look for pictures of my garden in the coming months! Wish me luck!
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