Gardening Can Be A Physical Challenge. These Tips Make It Accessible.

September 30, 2023, 7:00 am (ET).

Gardening benefits our physical and mental health. But for elderly people or people with disabilities, the prospect of kneeling or bending over to tend a garden can be overwhelming.

Jay Schultz, a disability and health researcher at the University of Vermont, said the garden would be more accessible to people with physical problems such as knee arthritis, chronic pain or extreme fatigue.

"Gardening can be very affordable if you plan it right," she said.

Fall is the time when many gardeners plant bulbs, clean up flower beds, and prepare gardens for winter. The Washington Post spoke with gardeners and other disability experts to get their best tips for making your garden more accessible. That's what they had to say.

Limit kneeling and bending by using a raised bed or pot.

Raised beds can make gardening more accessible to people with limited mobility, says Wendy Knowlton, program manager and chair of a committee that teaches gardening techniques to adults with disabilities in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.

For gardeners who use wheelchairs, he says the bed can be raised high enough to allow wheelchair access directly into the garden. A U-shaped raised bed can be particularly useful because one can sit in the center and reach in three directions from the same spot, he says.

Instead of working in the soil, try container gardening, where plants are grown in pots or containers. Place the container at an easily accessible height and make sure it can be moved easily, says Phyllis Turner, 77, a Virginia Cooperative Extension master gardener with arthritis who teaches adaptive gardening workshops.

"I firmly believe that almost anyone can garden," Turner said. "Even from a hospital bed we can set a table, we can plant seeds in a pot, put them on the windowsill and they will grow."

Plants grown in containers are less prone to disease and pests and are easier to care for, he said. A potential downside is that the soil dries out quickly, so you may need to water the plants more often.

Remember that kneeling or bending over can put stress on your joints and spine, says Alicia Green. Horticultural therapist at the Chicago Botanic Garden. People with joint pain, such as arthritis, or mobility problems should limit kneeling or bending over.

Use a garden stool or a garden chair with wheels.

People with joint problems, pain or mobility issues may benefit from a garden stool or wheelchair.

Charis Hill, 36, from Sacramento sits in a wheelbarrow next to a flower bed. There are health problems in the heel that cause joint pain, fatigue and mobility problems. But Hill used affordable gardening techniques to create an oasis of garden plants, fruit trees, flowers and grasses.

"The garden is a place where I feel like I have a place in the world that's safe and I'm in control," Hill said.

Try a reverse knee bench.

Some gardening tasks require kneeling. Tony Gattone, 75, of Sonoma, California, recommends a reversible kneeling bench with foam padding. Gattone is an experienced gardener with arthritis and severe chronic back pain who offers gardening workshops, and says one benefit of a reversible kneeling bench is that the bench legs can also be used as handles to help you get off the ground. Kneeling on the ground

Buy tools with retractable handles or long handles.

Wide reach tools are essential for gardeners with physical limitations. The watering wand can be attached to a hose to make watering your plants easier. A vertical weeder relies on a claw at the end of a long handle to pull out weeds.

"You want the tools to work for you," Greene said.

Look for ergonomic tools with comfortable handles.

Look for tools that are lightweight, easy to lift, and ergonomic tools that reduce torque when turning the handle or provide the power needed to perform tasks like shoveling dirt. Some tools come with straps, which can be helpful for people with poor coordination or weak hands. Some garden hoses come with a hook that allows you to hold the handle securely.

When choosing tools, Gattone recommends visiting a store and asking the salesperson to take the tool out of the box so you can feel how comfortable it is.

You can simplify the tools you already have by adding a foam pad wrapped with tape on each end, Turner says. I recommend buying pipe insulation and adjusting the length of the handle.

Make your job easier with automatic or self-watering devices.

Use labor-saving devices whenever possible, Turner says. This helps reduce the amount of work you have to do and reduces the stress on your body. "Gardening is more fun when it requires less effort," she adds.

Because of a disability that leaves her in chronic pain and confined to a wheelchair, Rosemary McDonnell-Horita, 29, of Berkeley, Calif., doesn't always have the energy or ability to water her plants every day.

Fill the terracotta pots with soil (cover the drainage hole), fill with water and cover with a lid. This allows the water to slowly seep into the surrounding soil through the terracotta pot.

"I have to water the plant every few days, depending on how hot or dry it is," McDonnell-Horita said.

The seeding tape already contains properly spaced seeds and can be buried directly in the soil, which can be especially useful for blind or impaired gardeners, Turner said.

Reduce stress on your joints with orthopedic support.

Hill wears a prescription knee brace and says wearing orthotics provides stability and reduces stress on her joints while gardening.

"Use a wrench even if you think you don't need it," Hill said. "I wear them a lot to remind myself not to sit down so low because it hurts. When I'm younger, I don't think about the consequences of what I do."

Compression socks or sleeves can help reduce swelling, inflammation and pain caused by the garden, says Gatton. She recommends stretching before gardening and spacing out your activities so you're not gardening for more than 20 minutes at a time.

"You can use different muscle groups and avoid repetitive movements to avoid pain," he says.

Use public resources for free

"Look for master gardener programs in your state, which may often offer courses in garden adaptation," says Kathleen Wellington, 72, a master gardener who lives in Fairfax, Virginia.

Purdue University's National Agility Project maintains a database of tools that can help people with various disabilities who want to garden. The site can be difficult to navigate, but the project's program manager Paul Jones suggests looking for tools in the gardening and vegetable, fruit and flower production sections.

Jones has worked with farmers and gardeners with a wide range of disabilities, including the disabled and disabled.

"Don't ignore it," he said.