Margaret L. Palmes
 For
People with disabilities and older adults
Information
on the best tools and designs to make hobby greenhouse growing easier
The pleasure of owning and working in a home hobby greenhouse has become
very popular. Traditionally,
greenhouse growing has been for the able bodied only. Not
so anymore. Physical disabilities
and limitations because of aging no longer keep people from enjoying their
love of gardening in a hobby greenhouse. With
today’s tools and designs, anyone can enjoy the pleasure of home grown
roses in January in a hobby greenhouse.
As a horticultural
therapist I have the opportunity to work with many people with a variety
of limitations. I have come
to realize the only real limitation is in our imagination. In
today’s world manufacturers of greenhouses, greenhouse equipment and tools
for gardening are providing adaptable tools for an ever-increasing market.
With the popularity of home gardening and hobby greenhouses, suppliers
have had to offer a wide variety of products for able bodied individuals
as well as those individuals with physical limitations.
Many things must be considered before building an
Enabling Greenhouse.The needs, abilities
and goals of the person or persons who will be using the greenhouse are
your first consideration and will determine what is needed to make all
areas of the greenhouse accessible. This would include growing areas, easily
moveable tables and benches, storage space, pulleys for hanging baskets,
lightweight adaptive watering tools, and a level, solid flooring material.Adaptive
tools and equipment will also be necessary, and a wide variety of these
are readily available through most garden supply companies.Light
carts made with simple shelves and adjustable fluorescent lights make seed
starting easy from a seated position.Shop
light fixtures can be hung using pulleys for ease in lowering and raising
the lights as needed.Many styles
are available for purchase, and they can be home made from a variety of
materials.The worktables and growing
benches should not be larger than the gardener can reach.Low,
rolling bins with lids make mixing and using soil less mixes easier. The
main thing to keep in mind is the ability of the gardener using the greenhouse.Making
sure they are able to reach all areas of the greenhouse easily to enhance
their recreation time in the hobby greenhouse.
While there are many types and styles and sizes of
hobby greenhouses on the market today, there are twice as many adaptive
tools and other equipment to assist the gardener.Tools
and equipment can allow us to garden more effectively and efficiently,
allowing more enjoyment of our efforts.Appropriate
tools are available for almost any situation.Three
main factors to consider when choosing tools are the weight, the handle
length, and the type of grip on the handle.Again,
the goal is to fit the need of the gardener who will be using them.
Lets face
the facts, most of us will live long enough to experience some type of
temporary or permanent physical disability. As
we age we might find it harder to bend over, lift heavy things, reach,
and even see. The Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 has had far reaching implications to
employers, businesses, educational institutions, and especially to an estimated
forty-three million persons with disabilities in all aspects of life. This,
along with the growing number of aging Americans is forcing suppliers to
be more inventive and to offer more variety of products to fit the needs
of the consumers. Persons who
formerly could only dream of owning and working in
their own hobby greenhouse are now able to act on that dream.
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