Vertical Gardening for
seniors
Vertical Gardening is a term
used to describe when a large number or variety of plants can be grown in a
small space. Easy access, vertical
gardens can also be used to hide unsightly views and serve as privacy
screens.
Trellises and plant supports
can be used to increase your growing space by growing plants vertically instead
of horizontally. A vertical garden not
only looks good, but the plants enjoy more sunshine and air movement. Aside from watering and tucking the little
tendrils into mesh or lattice-work, there is little plant maintenance. Each plant takes only 1-2 feet square feet of
garden space and you can tend them standing up. Sticks, old badminton nets, fencing, walls and
ramp sides can be used as plant supports.
Wood, metal or plastic stakes, teepees, trellises, arbors and wire cages
can be purchased commercially or fashioned out of whatever you have on hand. Planting walls are also popular with
gardeners who have bad backs or find bending and stooping painful. A planting wall can be mounted either
horizontally or vertically against a fence or wall.
Vertical gardening isn’t just
for flowers. Vegetables such as
tomatoes, pole beans, peas, cucumbers, small squash, zucchini, miniature
pumpkins and melons are ideal for this type of gardening.
No style of garden is
impossible, but if you are dealing with disabilities you have to be a little
more creative to get the results that you want.
Source: Woy, Joann, “Accessible Gardening,”
(Stackpole Books 1997).
