Re: vegtable garden design for HANDICAPPED or injured people

We designed a garden that was initially envisioned for a member of our family
who had MS and was confined to a wheelchair.  We used 5' x 7' utility vaults
which are made of concrete and filled them with sludge which is weed free.  
The vaults are about 20" deep (with no bottom or top).  We planted using the
Square Foot Gardening method and installed pvc pipe around the perimeter and
down the middle on top of the soil.  The water is piped underground and comes
up on the inside of each vault.  We poked water holes in the pvc every six
inches or so.  We even have a little tool with a push pin on the end to poke
at the holes if they get clogged.  We have six 'planters' with a seven foot
aisle separating them all.  Each vault, or planter, has it's own on/off
faucet.  At the end of a couple of them we constructed poles with chicken
wire on it for the climbing cukes, peas and beans.  You can sit on the edge
of a vault (it's about eight inches wide) and reach to the middle.  The weeds
are easy to pick out thus far.  We live in the Northwest so the raised
concrete beds may just be the solution to getting a ripe tomatoe as they
retain the heat.  We're thinking that if we paint the outside of them black,
they may be even more heat retentive.  We live on a pretty big piece of land
so I use my golf cart as a garden cart and it maneuvers really well between
the vaults and I always have my tools at my fingertips.

You could go one step further and put a timer on the watering system and you
could pave the aisle ways between the vaults to make the gardening more
wheelchair friendly.  Anyway, if you would like we could post some pictures
of the setup if I've confused you with my description.

T in Seattle
lggunn@aol.com
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