Gardening can be a great way to get some fresh air, stay active, and de-stress! However, for people with differing abilities – whether you’re in a wheelchair, unable to bend down for hours on end, or have another mobility disability – it might feel like tending to a garden isn’t worth the trouble.
Fortunately, raised garden beds are a great way to make your garden more accessible! Instead of needing to constantly be crouched on the ground with your plants, give them a boost and make them meet you halfway. If you’re able to, you can build your own raised garden bed to fit your exact needs – otherwise, there are several options online that you can purchase for an easier assembly.
Before you put hammer to nail, or click “add to cart,” make sure you’ve done your math and have a plan! Here are a few things to consider before investing in a raised garden bed.
Give Me Some Space
Make sure you allocate space for people to move around your raised garden bed – or beds! Paths around or in-between garden beds should be wide enough that people with mobility aids (such as wheelchairs, crutches, or canes) have enough space to move, even when your garden is overflowing with foliage.
On the Right Path
In addition to making sure your paths are wide enough, they should also be on an appropriate terrain! Certain surfaces – like gravel, mulch, or lumpy grass – aren’t very mobility-friendly to those who use wheelchairs, canes, or other mobility aids. Smoother, flatter surfaces like pavement, concrete tiles, or wood are much easier to navigate.
Height Matters
Your raised bed should be at a suitable height for anyone who might be working in your garden. If your bed is too low, people may still have to crouch down, and it won’t alleviate any mobility issues. If your bed is too high, it could be too tall for someone in a wheelchair, and it may be difficult to lift heavy watering cans or bags of soil to that height.
In Too Deep…
If your garden bed is too wide, it’ll be almost impossible to reach the plants in the middle! When planning your garden bed, it’s generally recommended not to exceed a width of around 4 to 4.5 feet1 (depending on how long your arms are!) to ensure that your plants aren’t too deep to reach. If your bed is positioned against a wall, fence, or other structure, then it should be even narrower!
…or Not Deep Enough?
It’s important to keep lateral depth in mind, but you also need to consider the vertical depth of your raised garden. While certain plant species may only need a few inches of soil to grow in, others need at least a foot1 – if not more!
If you aren’t able to install your own mobility-friendly raised garden bed, there are still plenty of ways you can make gardening more accessible! Check out our past blogs 3 Steps to Create a Garden that Fits Your Abilities and Gardening with Disabilities for more tips on making your at-home garden more accessible.
And if you don’t have the capacity to manage your own home garden, you can always get doses of greenery by visiting Green Bay Botanical Garden, or by volunteering at a local garden or greenhouse. Our partners at Aspiro volunteer weekly through the summer and early fall to help tend to plants and vegetables in our Partnership Garden, from weeding to harvesting and everything in between!
This month, the Garden has also partnered with Aspiro to promote their No Limits Ability Awareness Campaign which highlights how we’re more alike than different. Together, we aim to reduce the stigma around disability in the community, and show that having a disability doesn’t prevent people actively participating in activities like gardening.
Volunteers from Aspiro assist our Horticulture Team throughout the year and specifically journey to the Garden weekly on Wednesdays in the summer to tend, weed, and harvest in our Partnership Garden! The produce harvested is then donated to Paul’s Pantry to provide food assistance in the local community. 1,075 Pounds of produce was donated in 2024!
This garden also features a variety of All-America Selections winners where you can explore some of the variety of flowers and veggie plants that are doing the best in our region.
Regardless of your abilities or mobility level, the Garden – and gardening! – is a space where everyone is welcome.
Sources
Burke, Nicole. “The Complete Guide to Raised Beds.” Gardenary, April 4, 2025. https://www.gardenary.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-raised-beds.
