Accessible Garden Design on a Budget - A quickish read
There are some excellent resources available to support accessible garden design. In this article I link to some that I think may be particularly helpful to those who are not planning on using a professional garden designer.
I do of course thoroughly believe in the value professional garden designers can bring, I am one(!) and you can read my blog article explaining why you might want to hire me here.
However, when a full garden redesign and build for all but the smallest of gardens is likely to require more than a £20,000 investment, we have to think very carefully about how money can be best spent.
In this article, you can find:
How to Approach the Project
I would suggest you take a look at the sources of information below and come up with a list of ‘Essentials’ and ‘Desirables’ that you want included in your new garden.
You can then use the section below on finding a reputable landscape contractor to identify contractors in your area who may be able to help build your garden.
Show the contractor/s your list of Essentials and Desirables as a starting point for the project. You may also want to show them specific guidance and/or regulations you have found which you want them to bear in mind.
Sources of Information and More…
Thrive are a fantastic charity with a wonderful website packed full of information, training resources, ways to get involved, and ways to get gardening!
The Thrive website has a Make my garden more accessible page where you can use the ‘Filter by tag’ option to find the advice that’s relevant to you.
For example, you can select ‘Wheelchair user’ and ‘Design’ to find guidance on wheelchair friendly garden design. This includes guidance on regulations and principles of design, with links to further information.
Thrive have also released an app called Cultivating Wellbeing aimed at helping you discover and plan activities to suit your garden space, needs and available time.
There is a small fee for the app of just £2.49 a year. At the time of writing, Thrive were offering a 14-day free trial.
The Gardening with Disabilities Trust aims to help people to enjoy gardening.
The Gardening with Disabilities Trust offers small grants to pay for things like raised beds and planting tables.
Grants can also cover the cost of things like accessibility ramps, handrails, adapted tools, polytunnels, seeds, and bulbs.
The Gardening with Disabilities Trust website also has a page of Ideas and Inspiration, which includes a list of specialist suppliers and organisations, useful books, and sources of help.
The page includes links to suppliers of raised planters, tables and beds, as well as ergonomic tools, aids and assistive devices.
The Sensory Trust are another wonderful organisation and a leading authority on inclusive and sensory design. Their website is a rich source of information albeit the focus tends to be more on public spaces than private domestic gardens.
On the Sensory Trust website, you will find the By all reasonable means: least restrictive access guidance on improving access to greenspaces.
The guide looks at accessibility in its broadest sense, including people with physical, sensory or intellectual impairments. It includes how to make routes, sites and facilities more accessible.
Building your Garden: Finding a reputable landscape contractor
Whilst you may not feel you have the budget for a garden designer, you may need someone to actually build your garden. The organisations below have directories of accredited landscape contractors.
You may want to approach 2 or 3 contractors to get several quotes.
You could ask the contractor about other accessible gardens they have built.
It’s important you find a contractor you feel comfortable working with.
The Association of Professional Landscapers directory allows you to search for landscapers in your area who are registered as building accessible gardens.
The British Association of Landscape Industries directory allows you to search for landscapers in your area who are registered as building “disabled/historic gardens” which I believe is an odd way of saying ‘accessible’!
I hope you find the above information helpful. If you decide that you would like to invest some of your budget on a professional garden design, I will be happy to hear from you. You can find out more about my fees here, and you can contact me using the details here. If not, good luck with your project!
