How To Create An Accessible Garden

GardenSite believes that everyone should be able to enjoy the benefits of growing flowers, fruit and vegetables, and we stock many products that make gardening accessible for all.

Accessible Planters and Raised Beds

Forest, one of our major suppliers of timber garden products, works with 'Thrive', an organization whose mission is to use gardening to change the lives of disabled people. Thrive advises Forest on the development of new products, then disabled people are invited to try them out and give feedback. 

Forest's new accessible gardening collection is the result of this collaboration, with items designed for all those who need to sit, kneel, stand or use a wheelchair to garden, and we're able to distribute these low maintenance and easily accessible products throughout the UK with 2.5% of any sale donated to Thrive.

Raised beds, troughs and planters are of course manufactured by other companies such as Grange and Rowlinson. There's a huge variety to choose from and, although not necessarily designed for disabled people, offer various levels of accessibility. 

They can be decorative or productive, for flowers or vegetables and designed to be positioned in different locations, for example, corner planters, several have a trellis to be placed against a wall for climbers and raised beds.

View our range of raised beds and planters here.

Zero Threshold (Step-Free) Greenhouses

If you're looking for a greenhouse, Halls Cotswold has developed their own Zero Threshold™ sliding door system, which has step-free access through single or double doors.

This means greenhouses such as their Birdlip, Blockley, Bourton, Burford and Monarch models are ideal for wheelchair users and people who are not entirely steady on their feet.

Easy access is guaranteed with no threat of tripping and no lip to negotiate if you are pushing a wheelbarrow or carrying heavy items.

View our full range of Halls Cotswold Zero Threshold greenhouses here.

Raised Ponds

Raised ponds are perfect for any disabled fishkeeper, and Intalogs manufacture attractive timber clad square and hexagonal ponds, of up to 400 gallons capacity with sides that are 2ft 4in (75cm) high.  

The ponds are supplied with a liner, and a pump or filtration system can be added to ensure the water is healthy enough to keep fish. They are easy to assemble and seats can be screwed into place. This will be a dleightful place to relax, on the side of the pond observing the fish.

Blagdon Affinity raised ponds have windows that allow you to have a side view of the fish as well as from above. They can be planted in the same way as a traditional pond and have a filter pump, fountain and lighting.

Low Maintenance Artificial Grass And Ornaments

Perhaps not immediately coming to mind, artificial grass can also be beneficial as it doesn't need mowing, feeding or weeding. Low maintenance, pet-friendly and hard wearing, artificial grass is a durable all-weather surface.

Ornamental features should also not be underestimated in a fully accessible garden. GardenSite recently delivered ornaments to an interactive sensory garden in Glasgow, where their shape and texture can be touched and felt.

If you are a mobility scooter owner, refer to our blog on Asgard sheds that are accessible via a ramp, and where you can store your scooter, protected from the elements.