adaptive gardening

14 years ago

So this past year, I had surgery and was in a wheelchair for about 5 months. I also have severe arthritis in my knees and can't stand or walk much. Because of the wheelchair, I got to do no gardening starting early April. Even this past fall, I did none because I was still shaky getting around. I'm ready to get back to it, but have more limitations than I did before.

I do use a metal rocking chair that I drag around and I can sit in it and prune or water or some weeding. The chair lets me lean forward without danger of falling and it saves my knees. I tried gardening rolling seats and that swivel kind of thing. They are way too low for me.

Those of you with similar limitations, what do you do? I'm realizing that long handled tools are helpful and having what I need to carry with me in a lightweight tote is crucial. I really don't want to give up gardening. I have very little help. I can, a couple of times a year, get my kids to help out, but they are not gardeners and would rather not. Plus I raised them to be rather independent and they are used to that in me as well.

Any hints or tips would be most appreciated.

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Comments (8)

roselee z8b S.W. Texas
14 years ago
Well, you simply must garden, no doubt about it! I was looking around on the Accessible Gardening Forum the other day because my hubby, looking for something to do, offered to build some raised garden boxes. I had a total knee replacement a year ago and can't squat anymore. I can only semi squat. LOL! But I haven't taken him up on it yet, because I just can't find a good place for them without tearing a lot well established stuff out. But I found some interesting ideas, including the setup linked in the link below.

Maybe you could get your kids to give you a one time super duper Christmas gift of building some elevated beds. Tell 'um it will be the last gift they would have to give you (but you wouldn't have to hold them to it ... LOL)

There are a lot of very interesting posts with helpful suggestions on Accessible Gardening. This is just one of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wheelchair Accessible Boxes ...
wilo
Original Author
14 years ago
well, of course there is a forum on here for exactly what I was asking. I didn't even think to look. Thanks, roselee, I'll go through it and see what fits my needs. I, too, have extablished beds. I sure wish I had done raised beds.

Btw, I need both knees replaced, but doctor says I'm "too young". I try to tell him I'm "too young" to walk like this and suffer this much pain. He just advises me to wait.
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I enjoyed reading this thread. It actually caught me while I have been having a mini epiphany about gardening and life. Many important things in my life have seemed wildly and really annoyingly out of my control lately. Projects at work have all seemed to require constant attention in order to stay on track - a year after my mother's death my father is just about to pass away himself - I am scheduled to fly out tomorrow to see him and a huge snow storm is coming - right before christmas my car was damaged in a hit and run accident....I could go on. I have found my self longing for an extended period where I could just retire and work in my garden. At first I was thinking this was because my garden is a place I feel some semblance of control. When I was telling someone this I realized what a ridiculous statement this was. I, with my garden on a rocky soil poor slope with a groundhog and plagues of june bugs, winter moths and aphids know very well I am hardly in control out there. Anyway the epiphany is that the garden is the place where I think I have made some form of peace with the notion of not being in control. I actually even think this has helped me to a degree accepting my parents mortality as part of the cycle of life (funny, when I began to accept my mother's death like this I felt like an adult for the first time in my entire life). I wish I could think of a way right now to translate this into feeling less angry at the impending snow storm. I hope tomorrow I wont have to mediate on this while sitting in an airplane on a runway for hours and hours.
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roselee z8b S.W. Texas
14 years ago
Well, about waiting ... the knee replacements last 10 yrs. and now they are saying the newer ones last 15 years and then you can always have them done again. My P.T. said she had a patient, a very active woman, that was on her 2nd knee replacement on one knee and the 3rd on the other!

BTW, there is a post on this forum on about total knee replacement.

Here is a link that might be useful: What are your feelings on total knee replacement?
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
14 years ago
Sorry, I pulled the wrong book mark down.

Here is a link that might be useful: Knee replacement
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
14 years ago
My sister had one and she has been hiking for a MONTH on the Apallachian trail in Maine and New Hampshire, last summer. She is walking everywhere now but does not have full range of her knees either. Crawling in crawl spaces fixing pipe insulation is out.
wilo
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for all the help. I dragged out an old cooler from the garage and used it to sit out in the yard and pull a few monster weeds that were threatening to take over the world. I am going to keep my eyes open for one on wheels so I can put tools inside it without worrying that I can't pull it along. I didn't get much done, but it's a start. Got some herbs potted up and a small patch of weeding. Saturday was not as windy as Sunday but it was nice being out there.
holleygarden Zone 8, East Texas
14 years ago
There is a member that frequents the rose forum. He has a website, linked below. He is handicapped and since he is a GW member, I'm certain you could email him and get lots of information and advice.

Good luck to you. May your garden give you lots of pleasure and not too many weeds. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Rosenut.com
denisew
14 years ago
I realize you said you are independent as well as your kids, but my opinion is family comes first and if you need help with something, they should take the time to help. I think it is becoming too easy nowadays with kids having their "busy lives" to not take time to do things for their parents or other family members. It is also not a bad thing for an independent person to ask for help. If your kids can't help, maybe you could contact your local garden club or master gardeners to come help build those raised beds.

adaptive gardening

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roselee z8b S.W. Texas

wilo
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adaptive gardening

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roselee z8b S.W. Texas

wiloOriginal Author

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wilo
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