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Handicap Gardening
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I garden even though I have MS. I have some great tips and would like to share them with you
Location: Irvine, Ca.
Members: 57
Latest Activity: Apr 5
HEAT, HEAt THE BLASTED HEAT-TIPS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH IT
I have been dealing with the heat almost all of my life. I lived in Arizona when I was a young woman and I could not stand the heat then. I moved to Texas for a year and again that was hot and humid. I have lived in California most of my adult life. I do fairly well with our climate here until it get in the high 80's and 90's.
I did not know until 11 years ago that I have MS. I have probably had it since I was in my early 20's Now I know why I always had trouble with the heat. I have found out over the years that the sun's rays affect me as much as the heat. The coverings of the nerves around my spine that control temperature in the body have been compromised by the the MS.
I can work only in the early hours or late afternoon. If it is an overcast day I can work out until the sun breaks through. If the sun's rays hit my lower spine I am done for the day. Soo I do all that i can do to avoid that from happening.
I have talked to many people here on GI and I am realizing that it is not just handicapped people who suffer from the heat.
This is why I'd like to share some of the tips that I have found that work for me. I am sure that they will work for you too. Please feel free to share your ideas and solutions that do help you
Avoidance is my first rule. I try not to be anywhere in my garden where the rays will hit me. I can work behind an area where there is shade. A friend of mine, Kay, suggested a beach umbrella. I got mine at Costco for 20$ It is lightweight and I can carry it with the strap.
I did not know until 11 years ago that I have MS. I have probably had it since I was in my early 20's Now I know why I always had trouble with the heat. I have found out over the years that the sun's rays affect me as much as the heat. The coverings of the nerves around my spine that control temperature in the body have been compromised by the the MS.
I can work only in the early hours or late afternoon. If it is an overcast day I can work out until the sun breaks through. If the sun's rays hit my lower spine I am done for the day. Soo I do all that i can do to avoid that from happening.
I have talked to many people here on GI and I am realizing that it is not just handicapped people who suffer from the heat.
This is why I'd like to share some of the tips that I have found that work for me. I am sure that they will work for you too. Please feel free to share your ideas and solutions that do help you
Avoidance is my first rule. I try not to be anywhere in my garden where the rays will hit me. I can work behind an area where there is shade. A friend of mine, Kay, suggested a beach umbrella. I got mine at Costco for 20$ It is lightweight and I can carry it with the strap.
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Comment Wall
Comment
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Comment by Mary Melvin on April 5, 2012 at 4:09pm -
Thanks for the photos and idea on this! I may still be able to garden yet! I have spinal stenosis with herniated disc and bilateral leg sciatia. Been on crutches for a month so far. This gives me hope!
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Comment by Brenda Bartz on March 24, 2012 at 5:58pm -
Another tip for planting was to use grids, like they do for square-foot gardening. Use strings going north and south and then east to west, to make 1 foot grids. Now you can plant inside each of the grids by feeling the strings for guidance.
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Comment by Brenda Bartz on March 24, 2012 at 4:55pm
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Hi Gardeners,
For vision challenges some of the suggestions in our class were to use contrasting colors and bright colors for plantings. You could also use plants that have certain smells to indicate a certain space/area, but don't get too many too close together as it would get confusing.
If you have paths, you could use different materials for the path to help identify certain areas. For example, you may have a patio with pavers and then have a path with crushed granite.
You could use different types of hardscape as markers along paths and throughout the garden. For instance, if you have a bench, you could have windchimes by it to help identify its location. Maybe you have a seating area, you could have a bubbling fountain near it to help identify it.
Just a few quick tips and ideas to help get your ideas flowing.
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Contributing Gardener Comment by Freddy J. Hill on March 23, 2012 at 11:41pm -
Brenda, great comments. I, too, am a long time Master Gardener. My work has been toward promoting user friendly gardens, but I am now handicapped for life, having to go that extra step. I will try to offer, occasionally items I have learned. Hope to hear from you soon. Feel free to browse my pics, by the album, an my gardening blogs, many of which are very near to the subject.
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Comment by Aunt B, SW MO Z6b on March 23, 2012 at 11:01pm -
Brenda, thanks so much for sharing those tips, I'm looking forward to other tips. I am legally blind and have fibromalgia, so always looking for ways to make things easier.
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Comment by Deborah Hamel (Z9a-9b Arizona) on March 23, 2012 at 10:54pm -
Brenda- Great suggestions, thank you.
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Comment by Brenda Bartz on March 23, 2012 at 10:42pm
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Here are a couple quick tips:
If you are using a walker in the garden, add a bicycle basket to the front of it to carry tools, water jug, seed packets, etc.If you have a grip limitations, place a section of foam pipe insulation over a section of your tool handle.
Since it is planting time, if you have trouble bending over, make a seed planter using PVC pipe 2-3 inches in diameter. Cut it the length you need for your height from your waist to the ground. Cut one end at angle. Attach a small funnel at the opposite end with some duct tape. You can use the pointed end to make a furrow for seeds and from the funnel end you can drop your seeds in at regular intervals into the furrow.
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Comment by Brenda Bartz on March 23, 2012 at 10:05pm
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Good Evening Gardeners, I noticed this group on the homepage of GS and decided to join. I am hoping to use it as a resource and offer resources as well as a master gardener volunteer. I just recently completed the first part of my level 2 training and our to make a long into short, our topic was health and horticulture, connecting gardening with well-being, adaptive gardening techniques, etcs. I am hope to share what I learned and maybe learn first hand from all of you as well so I can share more with others. I will go over my notes and get some more posts and hope yous find it helpful.
Brenda
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Comment by Zigmund Cieplinski on January 5, 2012 at 9:14pm -
I have a lot of photos and more of my drawings on my fb page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/305129467274/10150581990732275/#!/m...
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Comment by Zigmund Cieplinski on January 5, 2012 at 9:12pm
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I drew it, thx. my bench is aluminum and very light, lowes has them for sale at times for $30. A towel or foam cushion to lay on and you can do a lot of comfortable detailed work in you garden. It helps a lot for weeding.
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