"Val" wrote in message
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"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

I got an L1 crush fracture July 4th when my ATV rolled on me. A month
later, I tore a rib loose. I'm going to be doing some gardening basically
standing up from now on. Will get the local strong teens and some church
people to help me build these.

Steve