GARDENING WITH IMPAIRED VISION  

‘Many people think that vision impairment will prevent them from enjoying their gardens. Not true! The French painter, Claude Monet, was an avid gardener who loved flowers almost as much as he did painting. Although Monet eventually lost most of his vision, he did not stop painting, nor did he ever lose his love for gardening. Vision impairment does not have to spoil your enjoyment of gardening, either’ (Kaplan, 2007).

  Moving around the garden

 
For those of us with a sensory impairment it is important to keep life simple. Ease & safety in moving around the garden is the first thing to consider. Accessible routes to the garden and to tool sheds, greenhouses etc, from indoors as well as around the various areas of the garden, is the first thing to consider.

Design the garden so that ground surfaces that are smooth, firm, with good traction & level. Grass & loose materials (loose gravel, mulch) are not ideal as they can can hide uneven ground. Having said that, well laid gravel can give an auditory clue as to which path you are on so can be a good thing. Remember that timber decking and boardwalks can be slippery when wet. Verda sustainable softwood is an ideal choice for decking as it conforms to nonslip standards, does not splinter, and feels great with bare feet.
 
Design pathways with clear beginnings, ends & detours for features of interest. Auditory cues from water features, or chimes can provide a means of orientation in the garden.

• Use perspectives, symmetries and colours to define spaces in the garden.  
  

• Path edges should have a distinct difference in texture, (e.g. smooth concrete to grass) to indicate their presence. Avoid raised edging which can be a trip hazard.
  
  
• Install a strip with a change in texture of approximately 30 to 50 cm wide (12”-20”) to indicate the presence of a seat, a patio or a feature of interest.

 

Garden structures such as raised beds, containers, planter boxes & vertical elements (e.g. trelliswork, pergolas, arbour seats) can make gardening easier by bringing the soil & plants to within easy reach. Ideally these structures should be stable & heavy enough for gardeners to lean against.

The edge of a raised bed should be wide enough for gardeners to sit on & work.

 

Tools

Select tools that are lightweight, durable, safe & easy to use.

Plants

 The layout of the plantings can help the visually impaired gardener locate & care for plants. Group plantings of the same plants together, in drifts or rows. For example, vegetables can be planted in evenly spaced rows. To assist spacing them, run a string with evenly spaced knots and plant a seedling at each knot. Plants can be readily identified by touch. For example, tomatoes feel different to carrots, which in turn feel different to roses or lavender.

 Planting Seedlings:

 

• Feel the size of the rootball with your hands. Dig a hole of matching size, with your trowel or hand & insert the rootball. The top of the rootball should be the same level as the rest of the garden soil.

 

• When sowing small seeds, sprinkle them in a row, and then gently cover with a light layer of soil. When planting large seeds, plant each seed individually. Push the seed into the soil to a depth 2-3 times the size of the seed. Seed tapes make it even easier (available from some nurseries & seed order companies). Lay the tape along the soil to guide your planting. The paper tape will biodegrade over time.

 

• Tag plants with a label to help you identify them. Waterproof labels that can be printed with large letters are available, as are labellers that can imprint plastic tape in Braille or large print.

 

Watering Plants

 

Group plants with similar watering needs together. Use a hose (taking care to keep the hose off paths as they can be a trip hazard) or a lightweight watering can. Feel with your hand along the rim of the container plants to make sure you do not over-water. Insert your finger into the soil to feel how moist or dry it is. Drip irrigation tubes can be run along the garden.

 

Time how long it takes for water to reach the base of the root system, then you can set the irrigation system on automatic.

 

Weeding

 

There are strategies to help identify weeds.

1. Plant in evenly spaced rows as anything growing in between spaces is probably a weed.

2. Mulch the soil surface (for example with straw, leaf litter, bark chips) to suppress weed growth and provide a tactile medium to find weeds in (this also improves soil structure & moisture retention).