I had mentioned in an earlier post about an interesting raised bed garden I've seen here in town. Along with The Survival Podcast, this garden was one of the reasons I started this blog. I will try to include pictures of this garden if the owner will give me permission.
Working in the garden is rewarding, fulfilling and liberating. It makes us less dependent on the global food system, keeps us healthy and helps our bottom line. But it can be hard work physically. For many of us as we become Seasoned, this can be a problem.
Raised beds have been a long time standard for gardeners. But by raised beds, the raised part is usually 8 to 12 inches.This is helpful for keeping control of the garden area for weeds and soil quality, but does nothing for achy backs or sore knees, unless the construction materials are wide enough to sit on.
These beds are approximately 2 1/2 feet above the normal ground level. My first thought when I saw this garden was, "What a great idea for someone confined to a wheelchair or who needs to use a scooter". But it would also be helpful for anyone who has back or knee problems.
For someone in a wheelchair, it would probably be a good height for planting, weeding and harvesting shorter plants. There was corn planted which would have been beyond the reach of someone confined to a wheelchair. Pole beans would also be a problem under these circumstances, but if you arched the supporting wire over the pathways between the beds, not only would reaching the beans be possible, but you could utilize the space between the beds for production as well.
The major disadvantages I can see in beds of this sort is in the initial set up. Raised beds are usually made with landscaping timbers or 2x8s. The additional building material costs for timbers, lumber or even cinderblock to get to 30" height would triple. But be creative. I have seen raise beds made from many "scavanged items" such as broken concrete and river rock.
Projects of this scope are also difficult physically. Many High Schools require that students preform "community service hours" for graduation, usually 40 to 80 hours. Helping with the physical construction of these beds could fulfill a great deal of that requirement.
This type of project might also be applicable to Boy Scouts working toward their Eagle Scout award. http://search.scouting.org/BsaSearchPages/NationalResults.aspx?k=eagle+scout+projects&s=Scouting.org will help you find a troop in your area.
Additionally, if you have a local Sea Cadet Unit, Sea Cadets need to accumulate 40 hours of community service to earn their Community Service Ribbon. You can check at http://dolphin.seacadets.org/US_units/index_public.asp to find a unit in your area. Speak with the commanding officer and tell them what your needs are. If you are former military, offer to get involved. Talk to the Cadets about your experiences, listen to them about theirs. Units are always eager for prior service personnel to share their wisdom. What a great way to build community.
The second problem with the initial set up is that even at the regular depth of 8 to 10 inches, a 4' x 8' bed takes approximately 24 to 32 cubic feet of soil. This can be a substantial cost if you are not producing your own compost and topsoil. A good investment to be sure with a good return on that investment which increases each year as the soil "matures". Then, take that amount of soil and triple it. You would however have some of the deepest, nicest soil on the block.
Also, if you are confined to a wheelchair or scooter, you probably would not want to build the beds to the usual 4 foot width. You need to be able to reach to the center of each bed from your chair or scooter. Figure out how far you can reach and double that to get the width, assuming that you will be able to go around the entire bed. Perhaps a 2' by 8' bed would work better. Figure out what would work best for you. You can probably do this by reaching over a counter top or table.
Hopefully this will give you some ideas on how to bring raised beds into Victory Garden Arsenal and along with that the sense of joy and self-reliance that comes with it.
Well, that's it for now. Till next time, keep prepping because what you do matters. and remember "Just 'cause there's snow on the roof top, doesn't mean there ain't a fire in the fireplace.
Candy
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