AWARDS WON FOR THIS PAGE
Updated March 18 - 2002
I have been gardening for the last 16 years. But am finding it increasingly difficult due to
Kugelberg-Welander's Disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis. I have been using a manual wheelchair for several years. Though I have been losing my strength and mobility for many years, my love for gardening continues to grow.
Scroll down to view list of easy care annuals and perennials.Flower photos and photos of a special wheelchair accessible planter table.Links to beautiful public gardens of BC, Canada
CLICK 
IF YOU WISH TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE GARDEN LINKS PAGE.
Over the years as my strength declined, I had to find new ways to make it easier
to garden. For example as bending and straightening became difficult, raised beds became a necessity. We (my mother and I) used half barrels. We had a very small garden at the back of the house (20' x 20'). When I could still walk, I used an old kitchen chair to sit on while gardening. I used Children's sized or planter sized hoe and rake (check your local garden centers or gardening catalogues) for weeding and digging small holes. These tools are lighter and the length was good (when sitting). A "reacher stick" (try your local medical supply or arthritic supply store) was handy to pick up light items off the ground.When planting small plants in the ground or in a spot that was difficult to reach I would use the reacher stick to grasp the plant and place it into the hole I had dug with the hoe.
We moved into an apartment with a large deck several years ago, when I began to find climbing stairs difficult. Our apartment building also had several huge raised sunny garden beds (see photos below) and we were offered the chance to garden in one (we jumped at the chance as we missed our little back yard). For the first five years we pulled weeds and planted annuals and perennials.
Co-op raised garden beds
 |
 |
I would work along the edge of the raised beds with my hoe, rake and reacher stick and my Mother would work in the areas I couldn't reach. I would grow many plants from seeds under a tabletop growlight in my bedroom. My mother had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and rheumatoid arthritis several years earlier and it was catching up to her with a vengeance and I was continuing to lose my strength and couldn't walk any more. Finally I realized it was too much and it was beginning to be tiring instead of pleasurable.
We concentrated more on doing our deck and wooden containers ( see photos below ). We had a gate constructed in our deck railing and built a wheelchair ramp with three raised wooden containers along side to serve instead of a railing. In 2001 in the area just outside our balcony which is actually an area of parkade roof we removed the gravel and installed cement pavers on plastic pucks. On this we have placed inverted large plastic pails to set our plastic planters on to raise them up to a comfortable height.
Patio Pavers After Installion
 looking East |
 looking West |
All these areas including our deck are in a fairly shady location which presented another challenge. After experimenting with different types and styles of containers for the railing, we settled on 12" circular self-watering plastic pots.They were light weight (as opposed to clay pots), durable, and the self-watering feature was an excellent idea (the reservoir had a built in wick)and you didn't have to water as often and you could also incorporate your premixed soluable fertilizer into it too. My scooter has a special seat which at the flick of a button will raise up, with this I can more easily reach the balcony railing to water plants.
Ramp planter boxes March 2002( I won't be able to update this Spring's flowers as my Scanner bit the dust. Instead I have put on some previous years blooms ).
 Species Crocuses |
 Douglas Bader Tulips |
 Large crocuses |
There is an expression "neccessity is the mother of invention." As I continue to loose my strength, I will have to find new ways to do my gardening. I may not be able to do all that I wish, but the little that I can do, refreshes my soul.
Here is a list of plants that I have grown that I have found to be fairly easy care:Plants for a sunny location: |
|---|
| Annuals | Perennials |
|---|
| Nemisia Fruiticans |
Miniature Daylilies |
| Lemon gem tagetes |
Sweet williams (fragrant) |
| Golden gem tagetes |
Coreopsis verticilata |
| Tangerine gem tagetes |
Linum flavum |
| Geraniums |
Cannas |
| Celosia plumosa |
Sedum spectabile (Autumn Joy, Brilliant ) |
| Bidens (Golden Eye) |
Lavender (fragrant) |
| Gerberas |
Sage (herbs) |
| Petunias (not my favorite as the flowers seem sticky) |
Greek oregano (herbs) |
| Celosia cristata |
Chives (herbs) |
| Million Bells | Hollyhocks (if you are able to stake them) |
| Miniature roses (my favorite) |
Plants for a shady location: |
|---|
| Annuals | Perennials |
|---|
| Coleus | Hostas |
| Impatiens | Astilbe |
| Begonias | Ferns |
| Rex Begonias | Corydalis |
| Japanese painted fern |
| Heuchera (coral bells) |
| Lysimachia procumbens
| |
Photos of wheelchair planter table
I am also a volunteer at a local nursing home and help with getting the patients involved with gardening activities. Below are photos of the planterbox used by both ablebodied and wheelchair gardeners.
Wheelchair accessible planter table, long view
Wheelchair accessible planter table, side view
Three Lovely Wheelchair accessible Gardens in British Columbia, Canada
Click on photos to see enlargement.
More beautiful gardens to visit in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
University of British Columbia Botanical Garden
Nitobe Memorial Garden
Bloedel Floral Conservatory
More beautiful gardens to visit in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Crystal Garden
Victoria Butterfly gardens ( wheelchair accessible )
Index to my site if you can not use Tour Guide!
[Home page]
[Susan's KWS Page ]
[Disability Related Links]
[Parkinson's Disease Links]
[Susan's Disabled Gardening Page]
[Garden Links Page]
[Aker's Page]
[Susan's gallery]
[Lot'sa Links]
