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Adapt the Garden for Access, Comfort, and Safety

By Gene Rothert

The next step is to adapt the garden for access. Careful planning will avoid costly mistakes. If possible, simple scale drawings on graph paper indicating existing or planned paved areas are a great help. Pieces of paper cut to represent planters, raised beds, and other elements can be moved to different locations on the graph paper. Many of the following suggestions encourage setting up the garden on or adjacent to existing walkways, decks, and patios or taking advantage of fences and walls, overhangs, etc., around the home. The ideas that follow generally target individuals with fairly limited mobility or anyone who cannot comfortably get down or up from the ground to tend a garden. Select from the wealth of available ideas to create a barrier-free garden and adapt them to the gardener?s specific abilities and needs. However, anyone may find that adopting some of the basics that follow will make gardening easier and a more enjoyable part of life.

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This fact sheet was last updated on 01-30-2006.