Gardening with Disabilities
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Posted: Sep/04/2006 3:50 AM PST
 I have been thinking about this for a while. Any physical disability makes gardening more of a challenge. I know we have a variety here on GG.I thought we could share some of the ways we have learned to cope with this. This is an ingenious bunch and I know we can all benefit from others ingenuity. There are a lot of so called helpful tools on the market that turn out to be a waste of money. I have fallen for too many. I have a bad back, neck, knees are gone lol and not as much strength in my hands as I used to have. My best friend is my ice pack. I buy cheap frozen veggies and put it in a plastic bag. Do use a freezer bag as the cheap ones will split and leak too easy. You can even pre shape them in the freezer. 15-20 min on the ice bag and it's amazing.  So come on let's share!!
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Posted: Sep/04/2006 4:22 PM PST
I don't have any fancy garden tools, just the basics. I don't use a wheelbarrow anymore. I use the pull type as I can easily lift, pull and still use my walking stick. I also don't overload it. I find that pacing myself is really important and drinking lots of water. If I start to ache, I quit for the day. There's always tomorrow. I also water before weeding or weed just after rain as the weeds are easier to pull then. If moving large plants, I put them on a tarp and pull it to their final destination. I use a tarp to transport leaves too after I have them in piles. Just rake a few piles onto the tarp, grab a corner and pull. That's all I can think of for now.
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Posted: Sep/04/2006 4:33 PM PST
A cheap reusable "Ice pack" from my athletic trainer to be daughter: Cut the leg off a pair of trousers.... an old pair of jeans works well. Sew one end shut. Fill with rice. Sew other end shut. Make it as long as you need for your problem areas. Make sure it is fairly full. Throw it in the freezer and pull it out and apply it to those joints and muscles as needed. It molds well to any body part. An added advantage... it can be microwaved to provide heat also. She actually sews custom sized tubes. She made these and gave em out for Christmas one year.... big hit with her aging aunts and uncles. |
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Posted: Sep/04/2006 5:45 PM PST
i find a lightweight lawn chair works well for me. i take it from place to place so i can sit and weed or do my deadheading in the gardens. i do a lot of my work seated cross-legged on the ground, too. takes less energy and i get short of breath less. i have lung problems so i always avoid working in the heat of the day. i usually get out there early evening when things start to cool down. |
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Posted: Sep/04/2006 6:36 PM PST
Oh ouch, cross legged, I would NEVER be able to get up again. A lawnchair sounds good, except my whole yard is hillside, so I can see myself go tumbling down the hill, LOL I do use a pad to kneel on, that helps a lot. Also long handled tools available at garden shops. Some are a waste of time though. The ones that have a handled that is bent to a comfortable angle work well and are supposed to be for people with arthritis or back problems. I am tall so some are not long enough. I have mild arthritis in my hands, neck and lower back, and have had a hip replacement. So bending is almost impossible for any length of time. Sitting or kneeling on the ground works best for me. The best thing for me is raised bed boxes. I can sit on the edge of them and easily cultivate or dead head. I must say that I have had very good luck with a Glusosamine-Chondroitin compound for the arthritis, that I take twice daily. It has helped me to the point that it kept me walking before my hip replacement and keeps me moving now and does keep the pain way down. My last resort and best tip, hire somebody for those really heavy jobs. The kids in the neighborhood like to earn a few extra bucks now and then. |
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Posted: Sep/05/2006 12:52 AM PST
I have very bad knees...like mountain gardener If I kneeled down--I'd probably never get back up..without help. I personally like the little garden seats...Its more like squatting but I can pull weeds to my hearts content..plus scoot from side to side a bit.It also has a area under the seat to store a water bottle or a cell phone.They may be called "crickets " or "grasshopper " something like that. Keeps me at a good angle when bending to hand pull stuff. |
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Posted: Sep/05/2006 1:01 AM PST
I have a bad back. I use a back brace when I garden. It gives me a lot of support and I'm not as achy. Last year I started having pain on the top part of my foot whenever I kneel to garden. I went to the foot doctor and he recommended that I use a rocker stool to sit on when I garden, instead of kneeling. That has worked out really well for me, especially when I'm weeding. I also do a lot of container gardening. |
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Posted: Sep/05/2006 3:25 AM PST
STRETCH before going out into the garden. Slow warm up stretches. The physical therapy I have been going thru for the last 6 weeks for my neck and back has taught me that. Nothing like preparing for a marithon or anything. Just a few slow stretches to get your muscles ready for a little extra work. Instead of carrying your tools all around, use an old golf bag on one of the hand pull carts. They work great for long handled tools and a few "S" hooks arounf the top will holf small handled tools too. No more carrying. Now you just pull your tools along behind you. I got mine at Goodwill for $2.50. Not bad for all the stress it has saved me. I also "hire" James (my 9 year old son) to pull weeds. He gets a penny for every weed he brings me out of MY yard. Not a leaf or two, it has to be the entire weed but he knew that up front. He also makes a contest with the neighbor kids to see who can rake up the biggest pile of leaves. Sometimes I don't own enough rakes to outfit them all. (He is my little Tom Sawyer LOL) |
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Posted: Sep/05/2006 9:41 AM PST
Great ideas fren's. Sometimes it's the little things we don't think about much that will help other's Keep um comin'.
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Posted: Dec/17/2006 11:26 PM PST
To bump this up and add a little something. When my mom and I go to the cemetery to put flowers in it's uneven ground for her to walk on any way we try to get to our area. She has a garden claw that she uses along with a lightweight shovel to use like ski poles as she walks. Once we get to the area then I use the appropriate tool for the digging. Many times we don't need the shovel because the leftover dirt from the previous year is so loose all we need is the claw for geraniums and impatiens. |
