Special projects at the Ballard P-Patch
Enabled Gardens
The Ballard P-Patch provides wooden raised bed boxes for elderly gardeners and for gardeners with mobility challenges. These boxes stand about 3-1/2 feet tall. We call them "tall-boxes." The extra height allows the gardeners to do their gardening at waist level, without having to stoop or kneel. And we go the extra mile to really make them useful.
All P-Patch gardeners are required to maintain their plots and to maintain the pathways around their plots. We had told each gardener, as they began to garden, that maintaining the plot was their responsibility, and they could recruit friends or family for help. Or, they could ask one of us site coordinators for help and we could have other gardeners help them at the next work party. This included the tall-box gardeners.
One of the gardeners using the tall-boxes is retired. She's had two hip replacements. She has difficulty lifting heavy items, and kneeling is almost impossible, so the tall-boxes are perfect for her. We came to realize that these folks should receive the help they need without having to ask. The maintenance needs to be an integral part of the tall boxes. A shared effort is needed to really make them effective.