What Does Disabled Gardening Look Like? | Eater

"On a tenth-of-an-acre Northern California lot that was once a dumping ground, an overgrown yard was reclaimed into an accessible, productive garden featuring a 15-by-25-foot vegetable plot, dwarf fruit trees, raised beds built to avoid stooping and to isolate plants from potentially contaminated ground, enriched reclaimed soil, a greenhouse with heat mats and grow lights, and a composting area. The garden was acquired after a hard-fought path to homeownership on limited disability benefits, and its design emphasizes disability-friendly methods — raised, close-planted beds for seated tending, thoughtful soil replacement, and small innovations that reduce heavy labor (with friends helping for big digs). It supplies sustenance in multiple ways—physical, mental, and spiritual—by producing food for the gardener and a neighborhood exchange (modified CSA boxes and returned eggs), restoring habitat for worms, birds, bees, squirrels and visiting cats, and serving as a deliberate, lasting legacy of ecological repair and community care." - Brandy Schillace