Garden modifications

Just because someone has limited mobility or a physical disability does not mean that they should not be able to enjoy their garden. Both spending time in the garden and indulging in gardening are activities that nearly everyone can enjoy.

Potential obstacle and hazards

Both the garden, and getting into and out of the garden, hold a challenge for anyone who is mobility restricted. Firstly, there is the crossing of the property threshold with a steps or steps, then there is the terrain of a garden which is not as firm or as level as a pavement or a foot path.

Despite these snags, ramps or handrails can be used adjacent to any steps and footpaths can be created within the garden if necessary.

Most gardens will have a lawn area and most lawns are flat and comparatively soft if someone falls on them.

Gardens built on uneven, rocky or sloping terrains offer more of a challenge and when this is the case either handrails (for walkers), or paths with ramps (for wheelchairs and mobility scooters) will be necessary. Proper paths require a constructed sub-base and loose materials are not suitable for the finished surface as they can create a slip hazard or be unsuitable for wheeled carriers. Always be aware that a path for a wheelchair or mobility scooter needs to be wider than a normal pedestrian path. It can also benefit from edge restraints.

This means that any foot path needs a flat level and constructed top surface which may be of pavers, paving slabs, tarmac, concrete, asphalt or something similar.

Making gardening practical

Many people who use wheelchairs wrongly assume that they cannot enjoy gardening, this is however incorrect. By using some very simple design ideas it is possible to make the garden a major hobby again. They key is to bring the garden up to the level of the wheelchair user.

One of the easiest and most obvious ways of doing this is to use pots and planters. The soil level of a good sized pot or a typical planter is well within the reaching range of a person in a wheelchair and, with smaller pots, it is simply a matter of elevating them by resting them on something higher.

Pots come in all manner of sizes, shapes and colours and this means that they can accommodate a vast array of different plants types. Once planted up they can be moved around the garden (by a helper or friend), but the real work will have been done by the person in the wheelchair.

Planters can be built of anything from brick, natural stone, timber, resin or concrete and they can be permanent or (in the case of the smaller ones) moved around. If the planter has yet to be built it can be set to the perfect height and placed in an easily accessible location. The advantage of a planter is that it is larger than a pot and as such it can be treated more like a small flower bed.

Another easily accessible garden feature is the water feature. Water features can be bought or built and many have a side wall that elevates the water level to a convenient height for a wheelchair user.

Garden tools and implements with extended handles, easy hold grips and ergonomic designs are readily available and they complete the gardening ensemble.