Treat Yourself to The Gardens at Elm Bank Reservation

Bright color in Weezie's Garden

As I entered the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Gardens at Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley a few weeks ago, I met two women on their way back to the parking lot. One of them was using a wheelchair.

“How are the gardens?” I asked. Smiles lit up their faces as they answered. “Wonderful!” 

This was my first visit to the Gardens at Elm Bank during the summer season. I was looking forward to seeing the cultivated beauty this DCR state park has to offer along the Charles River near Boston.  Beyond the accessible restroom facilities near the front gate, the brochure indicates several different garden installations on the property, each designed by a different noteworthy horticultural designer. 

The Gardens are a sensory feast of color, landscape design and artistic elements. Turns out some of the installations are more accessible than others. Two gardens are very wheelchair and stroller accessible. Two other gardens are fairly accessible if you can navigate thick mown grass. Some of the other gardens would require wheelchair assistance or gait support for those with less strength or balance due to eroded pathways. Overall the Gardens at Elm Bank are definitely worth a visit.

Access to the Garden!

If you are inspired by spring and like to garden, or just think you might like to garden, you'll want to check out Access to the Garden, the blog and facebook page of Brenda Brown Parent, who shares her gardening passion as woman with incomplete quadriplegia. Access to the Garden is full of beautiful photographs and personal tales on many fronts, including Brenda's advocacy for accessibility of public properties.

Brenda lives in South Carolina, so her gardening season is well ahead of ours in New England where we've been enjoying daffodils and now the sudden surge forward of spring in early May. Brenda is a fan of raised beds of course and liking her facebook page is a great way to find out what's hot in the world of accessible gardening, like these rolling raised planters. Tips on planting and design abound, with lots of comments by other gardeners. While Brenda is a potent advocate for accessible garden design, her fresh perspective is enjoyed by all. Check her out on Pinterest too, where you'll find several articles and videos.

Accessible Gardening Resources

While in Michigan earlier this month, I stopped by an Ann Arbor park to see what was growing in their accessible community garden. Not too much except spinach in a few boxes, which made me wonder why this amazing space wasn't showing more visitation and use. I found raised beds a various heights, for use while standing, sitting in a wheelchair, or sitting on bench walls surrounding a raised bed. Short trellises nearby showed me that vine plants like peas and morning glories could be kept within relatively easy reach.

Gardening is one of my favorite outdoor activities. I love growing flowers, herbs and vegetables. Since I live in the woods, I cultivate flowers and kitchen herbs in containers on the deck where the sun shines for half the day. For full sun growing I help a friend in her garden and reap the abundance of fresh air and vegetables throughout the season. The benefits of gardening include mild to rigorous exercise and social time with others. A hands-on connection to the earth, living food, and nature are also a deep part of the experience for me. I also enjoy a sense of connection to my ancestors, who grew much of their own food.

Seniors and those who have disabilities need not be excluded from this spring time reconnection to the earth. Raised beds and adaptive tools are two popular solutions that help facilitate easier access to the soil. Gardening buddies can do the heavier lifting. With a quick search on line to see what is specifically available, I found Accessible Gardens, a Rhode Island based company founded by Ray LaRoque, a wheelchair user who has "raised gardening to a new level" with portable raised garden structures much like what I found in Ann Arbor.

Other resources available to the budding gardener include basic articles such as those offered by the University of Minnesota's Extension Services, a spinal cord injury support site called Apparelyzed, and garden supply companies such as Natural Yards. There are a few good books on the subject as well - just Google "accessible gardening" on Amazon to find out more.

If gardening appeals to you, now is the time to explore your options!