Accessible gardening

One of the activities I've missed since having to use a wheelchair to get around is gardening. Since Laurie retired two years ago, and we no longer have to dedicate the backyard to toddlers, we decided to get some Vego raised beds that I can access from my wheelchair. 

We also had to figure out pathways that would allow me to get to and around the raised beds without getting stuck in the dirt. Laurie spent days and days pulling up the black recycled rubber mats that had served as resilient surfacing, a requirement for her childcare certification. They'd been part of the yard for about twenty years and grass had grown up through all of them, so it was quite the labor intensive task to get them up. 

And we're reusing the recycled rubber as pathways in and around the garden! It is such a great solution and I'm so grateful that she was willing to do all this work so I could grow a few tomatoes. We joke about our $50 tomato after spending  big bucks on garden supplies! 

Getting my hands in the dirt, listening to the birds chatter while I plant tiny seeds and nurture them, watch them grow into something wonderful to eat is so satisfying, and it's one of the ways I can let go of the insanity of all that's going on in the US and around the world. Gardening is great therapy! 

Extra: another view, with first part of our garlic harvest. Growing potatoes, carrots, kale, herbs, peppers, cucumbers, and of course, very expensive tomatoes. And lots of flowers.