In “Gardening for Young Visually Impaired or Multi-Impaired Children,” published by NFB way back in 2005, Didi Goodrich, mom of an 18-year-old, wrote about her daughter’s raised bed gardens: “a small enclosed area roughly fifteen-by-twenty-five feet that has two raised beds, a small greenhouse, a fountain, bird baths, wind chimes, statuary, garden ornaments to tactually explore, bird houses and feeders, a bench, and many large cedar tubs and pots containing herbs, edible flowers, and vegetables.” Sounds like a natural paradise. Goodrich gives a list of plants in the garden, and discusses tools and techniques that make gardening tasks fun. Learn more about raised bed gardening.
Vision Aware has “Gardening and Yard Work Tips” that are both easy and practical. Use old car tires as planters for spreading plants like squash or pumpkins, it advises. Poke holes in the bottom of an egg carton and use it as a spacer for planting seeds. Fishing line or a cane laid out in the garden will help to create straight seedrows. There’s a section on safe lawn care and so much more, all on a single page.
Carry On Gardening is the website of Thrive, a 30 year old British gardening program for people with disabilities that has lots of information for blind gardeners. There’s a Getting Ready guide for novice gardeners with advice like being sure to bend and stretch before gardening, and having one’s own garden plot and setting a radio or other audible signal in the plot so it’s easily located. There are free downloadable instructions on how to make a right-angle guide (invented by a blind gardener). Thrive’s other publications for gardeners are also free as downloadables (don’t let the prices on the products make you retreat; click to get the description and find the free versions.) Dig up all the info here.
