Mel there is a whole forum dedicated to this topic, it is called Accessible Gardening.

Mel, The best thing I can think of right now, is container gardening. Put pots every where, at the right height. If I think of anything else, I'll ket you know. Hang in there, keep looking., Lotta

Mel,

Maybe your dad will like the raised garden if he can get serious production out of it. I recommend you let him drool over the photos in another "Mel's" site: the system works, and your dad can get loads of food, cutting flowers, herbs, etc. out of what seems like inadequate space.

(I can grow food, flowers and herbs for 2, including winter storage, on a 4 x 9 cement patio, as long as I hang extra squarefoot planters along the balcony rail.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Mel Bartholomew's Squarefoot Gardening Web page

Some type of container or indoor gardening is the only soluttion.

Any small space can be used, according to the ability of the person.

You should select varities with only excellent potential in this environment to avoid possible disapointment.

I know all this! I am handicapped! read and heed.
Position EVERYTHING that is needed ACCESSIBLE with no effort required. Make everything a POSITIVE experience. Rule out anything negative.

Help make any handicapped person as reasonably independant as huamanly possible. This highly increases morale!!!

I know all this!!! I am 60 and handicapped. Been there, done that!

Hi Mel - its been awhile since your posting. How is your father doing?

A few years back here in our Community Garden a bunch of town people got together and put in a raised bed with 7 plots and four barrels for gardening accessibility. This was a multi-generational project and is used by such. I am not sure about your community but if they have a Community Garden - you might go to your Town's Disability Committee and propose the idea. The reason why I am so for this is because it allows one to be social as well as to work on their favorite hobby.

Otherwise I agree with the other comments posted here - a raised bed garden or garden table or containers could be made to accomodate your Dad's needs. Also maybe you have a few neighbors who would be interested in helping out with this project for a patio or even inside a sunroom. Invite them over for a BBQ and have fun. These neighbors too might also want to assist him in gardening - like a buddy system.

Keep in touch with the members on the Accessible Forum for more help.

Chantel

Here is a link that might be useful: Harwich Community Garden

Mt mom suffered a stroke a few years back, she was a gardner with more than a green thunb,(hence my new found interest in gardening). She is paralized on her left side, and has diminished movement on her right leg, but her right arm is perfect. We tried many different things to help her maintain her feeling of doing her garden and maintaining it, the one thing that worked for awhile was placing a blanket down with all he tools by one area of her garden, when she was done, we pulled th blanket and just kept on moving her down the line. But it does not work on cement, only where grass is. After awhile this was to much for her and us. Now, we just wheel her outside, and do what she asks. This to in time will stop, her mind has now given into the stoke. But you may want to try it and see. It will take great patience on your part, and your fathers.

I just realized that those haybale garden experiments would be the right height for wheelchair gardening. They take no skills in woodworking to set up, but do need frequent watering (especially at first). It is best if they rot a bit first, so its best to set them out in the fall. Make sure that you leave a pathway on which the chair will run between them, not muddy dirt or a gravel path.

Raised beds are terrific, I've gardened that way since I was a kid and it's the only way to go! Your planting soil never becomes packed from being walked on, and it's so nice to be able to work easily.

If you like roses you might get some tree roses, they bloom at the right height for a wheelchair so your Dad could care for them. Actually regular rose bushes might be good also. And anything that could be trained to climb a trellis such as beans, morning glories, grapes, etc. would be good. What about dwarf fruit trees? They only get about 6-8 feet high at most. Planter boxes hung on the walls and fence at his height are another idea. As for tools, if you search the web for gardening tools for the disabled I'm sure you'd get some great ideas. I know that Ace Hardware has a bunch of tools in this area.

This haybale idea sounds great, can you provide a few more details? I would like to use it as a way to plant items in a large graveled area that gets a lot of sun...