Access within Schools Garden

In my vision of an ideal world, school gardens that accommodate all would incorporate the principle of Universal Design and be an integral part of the original building plan for all schools. But in reality, addressing the issue of access within school gardens can be a daunting task. Schools often have limited resources and gardens are later additions to the school grounds. Here are some ideas on making school gardening available to all students:

Tabletop Gardening:

Engage students in gardening through tabletop activities such as planting seeds, separating or potting up seedlings, and working with houseplants. This allows for everyone to participate and provides productivity in a school gardening program, particularly for students with special needs.

Easy to Reach Raised Beds:

While providing ADA-compliant paths to raised beds might not always be feasible, schools can construct raised beds along existing sidewalks for students with mobility challenges. Wheelchair-accessible raised bed designs are available, and growing in bags, like soil or fabric grow bags, offers a portable and reusable alternative.

Growing Vertically:

Explore online resources for purchasing or building vertical gardens that can be placed in certain areas on school grounds. Options include trellises, living walls, espalier, stakes, cages, wall-mounted pots, hanging pots, cane teepees, archways, and growing on fences, among others.

Gardening Tools:

Utilize adaptive tools to make gardening easier for students facing accessibility challenges. Regularly search for terms like "gardening tools for wheelchair users" or "adaptive garden hand tools" to discover a variety of options tailored to specific needs.

Gardening for the Senses:

Consider the sensory aspects of gardening beyond visual impact. Use plants with a variety of textures, fragrant and edible leaves, and those that produce sounds, such as the seed pods of Baptisia australis (False Indigo). Explore sensory plant using Sensory tags In NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

Expression by All:

School gardens can serve as spaces where children of all abilities express themselves. Embrace multiple engagement approaches, allowing students to communicate and express themselves through various means, including touching, smelling, tasting, drawing, and pointing at pictures.

While creating school gardens for all to use may present challenges, these ideas demonstrate that with creative solutions and a commitment to include everyone, it's possible to make gardening a rewarding experience for all students, regardless of their abilities or needs.