"SteveB" toquerville@zionvistas wrote in message
news
We are ready to till up our garden, and want to raise it in beds or
platforms so us old people don't have to bend over so much. Is it
practical to raise them to desk level, or is just a foot or two
sufficient? I would think that whatever you made the raised bed from
would rot from water and gook within a few years. And then, if you use
cinderblock or cement, you're talking high cost and a lot of skilled
labor.

Help appreciated.

Steve
I belonged to a community group that spent two weekends a month building
raised beds for the elderly and disabled. I think you are wise to consider
raised beds now so you can continue gardening comfortably for many years to
come.

Instead of going into lengthy descriptions I will suggest an excellent book.
I'm sure your local library will have this as well as others or be able to
order them if you don't want to purchase. I'm using the link to Amazon since
they give pretty descriptions and reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Accessible-Gar.../dp/0811726525

At the bottom of that link are 'books you might also like'. You might want
to check those out as well.

One of the most popular heights for raised beds we built was 18" high. These
seemed to be easiest to garden while seated, depending on the size of the
person. A sturdy garden stool or laying a board between the bed edges to
form a bench is very comfortable way to garden. It was the most popular
design for our seniors and those with leg and back problems. Desk height
sounds good and logical but it won't take much for a plant to grow too tall
to be easily managed and standing for long periods can become very tiring in
some cases. We found two feet high turned out to be an awkward height for
most people. Too high to sit and too low for bending. You just think you
aren't bending but you are, causing even more back problems. That's why they
tell mothers to *not* change the baby on a bed. Bending over repetitively at
that angle is murder on the lower back. However the beds around the 2 foot
mark was best for those in wheelchairs. Make sure you don't make the beds so
wide you can't reach to tend them while sitting. And take into consideration
if your wife is shorter than you to build these to the comfort to the
smallest person. Tall people can always reach 'short', if one is small
and/or short and having to reach 'tall' it can be very uncomfortable and
frustrating. This is all in the book, you can customize depending on the
height and reach of you and your wife and the lay of the land. We built the
majority of the beds out of cinder block. They lasted indefinitely and the
edge could also be used to sit on. Sometimes a bit more expense initially
will save you dollars down the road, and you will have the pleasure of
gardening for years to come.

Val