Good luck! I'm a para since 1949, and I've worked a few jobs and raised 4 kids on a farm. If I'd taken the path people urged when I was younger, I'd never have done what I loved doing - teaching. I taught French and Gifted/Talented in jr and sr. high school.

I know you're right about keeping moving and using what you've got. Why should arranging and creating for horticulture industries be out of the question?

I can't give you the life experience story you need, but you're on the right track!

Barb

I'm handicapped and pull myself around in a little red wagon to garden. I raised so many tomatoes I had to give them away by leaving bags of them on people's doorsteps.
No money, but a staggering number of tomatoes.

You should be able to raise plants in pots on tables, another thing I do.

I do not know this person myself. But when I was living in Wisconsin there was a person in a wheelchair that sold bedding plants and hanging baskets from the driveway in Waterford Wisconsin. I think there was a little 'stink' about it at first, the person lives on a main street there and I think parking/traffic was some kind of issue--I am not up on the details--my inlaws lived in that town so I only observed some of that. In anycase, they must have made some agreement cuz I noticed that they were back up in business again the next spring. Looked like a pretty good little business. I would say Go for it! If you can get whatever legal requirements there are dealt with you should be able to make a good income. Also there is a webite I think called 'backyard nursery' that has help for that sort of thing. Good luck! Mary

Thanks to everyone who sent me messages of encouragement. I am heartened to hear your stories of how you overcame obstacles to do what you love to do. The physical limitations we face are often less of a challenge than the limitations that others try to impose upon us through their ignorance, laziness, or intolerance.
I will pursue the horticulture degree. I figure I can at least work at a local nursery behind the counter, selling plants and answering customers' questions. And I will continue to work in my garden.

Hi bejoy.
I think you can grow plants and able to sell.
Some plants are small and easy to propagate.
weed and seedling of ordanary plants can be use. If you can grow hard to "find plant" or small plants, seedlig, liner and make bonsai, basket planter etc and sell it to flower shop or garden center. If you can go to school to learn foudation of botany,chemstroy and have some hand on experience.
recently, I stared to grow so called kokedame/ moss ball,moss globe and bonsai with moss , weed or any seedling I can find or I grow.
physical limitation should not/ will not stop your dream.
If you need to know resources, Please let's me to know.
yama

I would contact the author of Square Foot Gardening and ask Mel. I'm sure he has had some contacts with those who are handicapped in some way and still make a living from it.

He actually has a new book called Cash With Square Foot Gardening. So, maybe somebody out there that he knows is doing it from a wheelchair.

But this is what I do know from working in the greenhouse/nursery industry.

In FL, they don't hire a lot of full time employees, they hire self-contractors. Now they still get paid for whatever they do, but they aren't getting W-2's. They are responsible for their own taxes, insurance, etc.

I'm going to have to do the same thing you are. Which means that for heavy lifting and such, I'm going to have to hire some self-contracted labor occassionally. I'm also going to have to be very organized so that I can use those temps when I need them on specific days instead of having them come in on a daily basis for just a short period of time.

Hiring through a temp agency is expensive because temp agencies usually guarantee a full days pay even if they only work for 4 hrs.

Hope that helps,

Steph