BLOG: Adaptive Gardening—Part 1

Square Foot Gardening (SFG) is a terrific method for those with physical limitations since you eliminate hard labor like digging the existing soil and can add legs and a bottom to your raised bed (a.k.a. a table top bed) and adapt your SFG for someone with mobility problems and who are confined to a wheelchair.

Legs can be adapted for someone who would like to sit while gardening or can be made a bit higher if they want to stand. In previous posts I’ve mentioned that the average Square Foot Garden bed is 4’ x 4’, and this would be fine for a stand-up garden. However, if the bed is for someone who is seated, I would recommend customizing the height of the legs and the width of the box to whoever will be using it—probably no wider than 3’ x any length. 

Generally a comfortable height would be to have the legs at 24”. This, added to the 6” depth of the box would make a comfortable 30” which is dining table height. If the person is petite or if the scooter chair is tall, you would of course adjust the height.

Many of us, myself included, find it is getting more and more difficult to garden as we grow older. According to census.gov the elderly population has increased eleven-fold between 1900 and 1994 while the non-elderly population increased only three-fold. About 1 in 8 Americans were considered elderly (those 65 and older) in 1994 but the Census Bureau estimates that rate will be 1 in 5 by 2030. The oldest old (those 85 and older) are projected to be the fastest growing part of the elderly population.

While my current Square Foot Garden is composed of traditional raised beds, any new beds I build will be on legs so that I won’t have to bend over to work.

When making a table top bed, you will need to put a plywood bottom on the bed and it would need drainage holes. The smallest the hole should be 1/4" with one hole drilled in each square foot (in the center of the square with one additional hole in each of the four corners of the box). I have not had success with holes that small so I prefer 1/2" holes and either cover the holes with screen material or better yet, I like to lay a piece of weed cloth in the bottom of the box. This will allow the water to drain yet keep the soil in the box.

If you don’t feel like building a box, another option is to get a strong folding table (the ones from the big box store are quite inexpensive and sturdy) and put a box with a bottom on the table (raised slightly for drainage). 

Remember, that the only tools you need for a Square Foot Garden are a trowel, a pair of scissors and a pencil. What could be simpler for someone with mobility issues than to be able to enjoy fresh air without having to dig in clay soil or hoe weeds?