Accessible Gardening for People With Physical Disabilities: A Guide to Methods, Tools, and Plants [Paperback]

Janeen R. Adil (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1995

Presents all the information and practical know-how necessary for designing, planting, and maintaining a garden that suits the special needs of young and older gardeners with physical disabilities. Dozens of mail-order sources are provided for the many tools, seeds, plants, and other materials discussed.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

People who feel that their gardening days are over or those who think that enjoying gardening is not an option due to physical limitations imposed by such conditions as spina bifida, arthritis, or cerebral palsy will be delighted by Janeen Adil's approach to outdoor work in Accessible Gardening. Adil has done thorough research into methods, materials, information sources, and specially designed gardening equipment to provide a new way of looking at gardening. For example, if getting down to ground level is a potential problem for a gardener, raising planting beds to wheelchair level will bring the ground up to the gardener. This useful book will allow thousands of people to get back out into the garden.

From Booklist

For gardeners with limited mobility, Adil provides information on developing, planting, and maintaining a garden. Her how-to guide describes a variety of plants suitable for growing in containers, raised beds, and vertical gardens, for what the author calls "barrierfree" gardening. Adil explains the physical, intellectual, social, and emotional/psychological benefits of gardening. She offers a list of catalogs available for the gardener's convenience and variety in selecting seeds and tools. There are chapters on tools and tips for using them; on choosing vegetables, herbs, flowers, shrubs, trees, fruit bushes, and vines; and on children with physical disabilities and gardening. The finished paperback will contain 100 black-and-white photographs and line drawings. George Cohen

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Idyll Arbor; 1 edition (February 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933149565
• ISBN-13: 978-0933149564
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for persons with disabilities & love gardening!, March 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Accessible Gardening for People With Physical Disabilities: A Guide to Methods, Tools, and Plants (Paperback)

Janeen Adil's book is an excellent source for those persons with disabilities and/or those who live or assist persons with special needs. This book's methods can be used both in a private home setting or in an institution's horticultural therapy program

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Out of date information regarding accessible gardening, January 3, 2005

By 

O. Santos - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Accessible Gardening for People With Physical Disabilities: A Guide to Methods, Tools, and Plants (Paperback)

I was disappointed in the content of this book. It merely covers basic gardening. I was hoping it would cover some tips on accessible gardening for people with disabilities. It does mention some ideas on how to achieve that but the techniques they offer is outdated. The techniques they mention usually require costly physical modifications which can be somewhat frustrating to pursue. If you are really interested in gardening but have some physical limitations, there are products out there that are already adapted to your needs. There are many gardening tools that have extended and ergonomically desinged handles at Home Depot. There are also products that are ergonomically desinged if you have arthritis. Its better to do an internet search for these up to date products that spending a dollar on this book. Buy yourself a real gardening book and do an internet search on how to modify your garden and your tools.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars See people garden while using the product-specifies sources!, June 22, 2000

By 

J (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Accessible Gardening for People With Physical Disabilities: A Guide to Methods, Tools, and Plants (Paperback)

This is a visually appealing book, starting with the cover, which demonstrates a gardener's ability and success in accessible gardening!The paper is brighter than most and the print is clear. This book is designed to give you specific ideas, aids, and the source to obtain them! It is full of B&W photos that show people gardening, while using the various products! It is a readable book for beginner gardeners. It is a helpful book for advanced gardeners that need to modify their gardening for increased accessibility. They need to print a revised edition to include more ideas and product update. The initial building of items would probably require help or hiring out.