Gardening can bring benefits to everyone. Unfortunately, some parks feel exclusionary. If you have mobility issues or some form of disability, or you are getting older, you may feel overwhelmed with the process of designing an accessible garden that you can maintain and enjoy.
Creating an accessible garden requires some care and thought. But you don’t have to cost the land, literally or figuratively, to create a garden that works for you or the whole family.
Connecting home and garden
The magnificent garden is an extension of the living spaces inside the house. But while many homes are equipped for accessibility, the connections to garden spaces often leave something to be desired. So when designing an accessible garden, one of the main focus areas will be the intersection between the house and the garden.
Seamless patio and decking and slopes can help create a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. Wide sliding doors blur the boundaries between interior and exterior. Pergolas, balconies, and other covered structures could provide accessible transitional spaces connecting the two kingdoms.
Creating gentle terraces and slopes can smooth the terrain, creating an easier path into garden spaces. Soft delineation of the existing terrain, with ties to the back doors of your home, ensures that anyone can make their way outdoors, unobstructed.
garden division
For gardeners with physical challenges, “zoning” is more important than it usually is. In permaculture, we make space so that the items we visit often are closest to home, and those that are only visited occasionally are far away. Reducing the time it takes to access the most common roads in your garden will allow more time to relax and enjoy the accessible garden you have created.
Zoning recreational spaces, designed for relaxation and fun, is just as important as creating those purely functional spaces that will help you live in a more sustainable way, such as managing water wisely, recycling nutrients, and growing at least some of your food.
Accessible trails
One of the most accessible features of the park are walkways that allow easy and free movement through the space. It’s important to think about reducing gradation, avoiding uneven surfaces, and keeping walkways wide and clear.
Of course, the specific surface required will depend on who will be using the space. In some places, lawn or other low-growing living paths may be appropriate; In other cases, a flat, compact track made of gravel, sand, or clay may work best. The benefits of this, unlike, say, concrete is that it’s a jet surface, which allows water to drain through.
Where concrete is desired, a lime concrete path or deck made from recycled materials can be more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Low maintenance spaces
When physical movement is a challenge, it is especially important to consider creating low maintenance spaces, where operations can be as streamlined and efficient as possible. But this doesn’t have to be boring. And they do not need to reduce the number of plants.
In fact, it is often the case that the more plants you include in the design, and the more diverse the ecosystem, the lower the maintenance.
In an accessible garden, don’t be afraid to incorporate a wide variety of perennials – trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Landscaping that mimics natural systems requires far less time and attention than you might imagine. Remember that native plants are better adapted to the conditions in your area and will require less care.
Carefully considering plant choices—for example, choosing plants that can be harvested within the most accessible area (fruit trees on stunted rootstock, for example)—means you can enjoy abundant productivity for a fraction of the time and effort it would take to maintain an annual garden. traditional.
Of course, the specific needs and requirements of the garden must be carefully considered in any accessible garden design. Be sure to think not only of practicality but also of creating a beautiful and aesthetically attractive design. Think of sight lines for the whole family, and incorporate visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile elements into the planting design.
high beds
If you plan to grow annual crops, raised beds are often the best solution for an accessible garden. But when creating raised beds, remember that it pays to think outside the box. Rectangular shapes aren’t the only option, and creating raised beds in different shapes can sometimes help create a garden that best suits your specific needs.
The height of raised beds should be detailed to you, or the master gardener, to enable access to all parts of each bed more easily. Make it high enough to avoid excessive bending and narrow enough to avoid overreaching.
Make sure your watering needs are met (considering that automated systems may be helpful) and make sure the composting area, tools in the pot shed, and other things you’ll need while caring for your raised beds are close to you.
Whether you want to make the garden more accessible for you, as a gardener, or for a loved one to enjoy, the above tips should help you move in the right direction.