The Disabled Gardener

Over the years in the garden centre industry I have been asked to find products for people with a disability of some kind. Despite browsing through trade catalogues and talking to suppliers I have found it a near impossible task. I have searched the web for products and found nothing but cannot believe that no-one caters for gardeners with disabilities.

Whilst at the Gardeners World Live Show 2007, I still couldn’t find any products and so I talked to many people with varying needs to find out how they felt about the choice of products available. I was amazed to find that everyone I spoke to struggled in one way or another to garden comfortably as there were no products available to assist them. One lady I spoke to told me how she gardened using childrens tools as they were light weight however, as the tools were so small, she was unable to reach easily from her wheelchair. She had tried using extendable tools but struggled due to the weight of them.

We would like to know your stories and opinions on this subject and if you know of any products tailored for people with disabilities. Email us your views to

Written by Day Lily on 2007/06/14 | Permalink to this article