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Galloway2019
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Galloway, Scotland
Joined: Apr 2019
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18-04-2019, 11:31 AM
1

Garden maintenance for disabled

Hi,
Does anyone have any tips for making a garden easier to maintain? due to industrial injury i'm unable to do any heavy work and cannot get down for weeding etc. My wife who died last year spent years improving the gardens and used to look beautiful but sadly its now looking overgrown and weeds everywhere, I do try and get cracking but my hand/arm problems are driving me mad and basically 2 hours in the garden and then i have at least 4 days with paralysed arms so not ideal. I am also into wildlife and have my little dog who has an habit of trying to eat stuff if i let him run around the garden so need some sort of weedkiller that is safe for wildlife and him and for the environment. I have a local gardener cut the lawns but they don't do weeding etc unless you pay them ££££££££.
The rear garden has shrubs around the the edges and gravel in the centre and used to look great but over the winter storms the garden got flooded with mud from the fields above us and now its covered in sodding weeds (my wife did put weedproof membrane under the gravel but the weeds are from the mud thats now ontop of the membrane. I have managed to but the Buddleia's down and some of the other shrubs but weeding around all the plants in the flower borders is a major problem so any ideas on making that a bit easier are most welcome. I asked thse questions on another gardening forum and to say they were a bit useless is an understatement with them basically saying don't be a lazy sod and put your back into it! I am not a lazy person and only stopped work thanks to industrial injury. I want to get the garden looking nice again and realise some of the stuff won't be possible but even tidying parts of it up is a start and would hopefully please my late wife (she's probably up there watching every move thinking what a mess it is)
Hope some of this makes sense.
Thanks
Brian
ps forgot to mention i have tried one of those electric weed burners and they are crap and also a gas powered one and again rubbish.
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Aerolor
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18-04-2019, 11:46 AM
2

Re: Garden maintenance for disabled

Very difficult to do much that will last long by yourself in these circumstances Galloway. Maybe you need to get a professional landscaper to give you some help in setting out the garden again, although it won't be cheap. They will know how to get the garden into a position where the minimum of effort keeps it looking OK and then you can go from there. Raised beds are good, but making them is awful hard work in the beginning. For years now my neighbour has not bothered with the bottom half of her garden. It has become a haven for wildlife and doesn't look too bad really. She gets someone in to cut it all down for the winter when it doesn't grow much. She only keeps the bit near the house reasonably tidy. You can always take advantage of the free advice of a landscaper without laying out any money to start off with.
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Northamptonshire
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18-04-2019, 11:52 AM
3

Re: Garden maintenance for disabled

Hello Brian, sorry to hear about your problems, it must be so frustrating for you. Damn weeds take over so quickly as well, don't they.

If you cannot get anyone to help you manage, it might be worth having a look at this website, see if it gives you any ideas:


https://www.gardeningfordisabledtrust.org.uk/

Also, I don't know what's available in your area, but here we have a local charity who have different tradespeople on their books who will come out and do jobs for folks.
It is not free, but they do not charge anything like big firms do.
Is there anything like that where you are?
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Mups
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Northamptonshire
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18-04-2019, 11:56 AM
4

Re: Garden maintenance for disabled

Sorry, something else I found too.
It seems there are sometimes grants to help with things like this, not sure if you were aware of this?

Have a look here:

https://www.disability-grants.org/gardening-grants.html



P.S. Rory looks gorgeous.
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18-04-2019, 12:09 PM
5

Re: Garden maintenance for disabled

I'd go with getting in a landscaper. ... or just let your own imagination run riot.
Gardens can still be nice and fairly easily managed if you can afford a gardener to come in once or twice a year and cut down any shrubs or do the backbreaking stuff.

As to just what kind of garden to have .. gravel, with a decent liner sounds a good option and a paved area for your little furry companion to romp around in. Raised beds, also good, as are container growing as it cuts down on weeds and backbreaking bending.
Weeds don't seem to get established so easy in tubs and as you're controlling the type of soil and feeding the plants do better.

And then there's the furniture side and architecture.
How about a nice little arbor in a sunny spot? A nice bench, with a water feature such as a fountain to add interest and create a nice mood. Or gravel and Japanese style lanterns.
A successful leafy retreat isn't always dependent on plants.
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longfellow
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Penthouse in Essex overlooking the Thames.
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18-04-2019, 12:12 PM
6

Re: Garden maintenance for disabled

Galloway you need to make your gardens low maintenance. I was a keen gardener still am in my ways but I suffer with severe emphysema and heart problems and bending down weeding is not good on my lungs or heart.

I did like you and pebbled half the front drive with a few slabs placed in positions for any family car if they are visiting.
I am now plagued every year by weeds growing through the pebbles even with a strong membrane under it.
I have to wait for a visit from my kids to sort that out.
My back garden or maybe I should say yard because I had it all block paved some years ago to make that easier to control.
I left a 2 foot border around the edge for plant pots.
I simply lift them onto my potting table and work off them there.
Then put the pots back.
It makes my life so much easier although I do still bend a lot just had 3 days out there and this morning I was suffering with all sorts of pains.
But I am ready again now to face the day after a long soak and a nice 2 hour nap..

Do you have https://nextdoor.co.uk/ up in Scotland.
I was a member of the original Streetlife in the early days but I did not go with Nextdoor when they bought Streetlife out.
On there you can look about for local gardeners or retired people that don't charge the earth to do your jobs in the garden or any other jobs you may need doing.

This might well be worth a try, you can check all their references from other members they have done work for.
Good luck mate.
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Baz46
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Somewhere rural 'out in the sticks', UK
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18-04-2019, 01:39 PM
7

Re: Garden maintenance for disabled

Here 'down south' there was at one time a scheme where people were available to help through Age UK. Not sure how this worked, something like the first hour had to be paid but then on it was free. How many total hours that was for I do not know.

You do have Age UK in Scotland, perhaps give them a call and see what's available in your area:

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/scotland/


This one may also be of help to you:

http://www.housingcare.org/service/t...-odd-jobs.aspx
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18-04-2019, 03:19 PM
8

Re: Garden maintenance for disabled

There is some good advice here Galloway, hope you can find something to help.
Good luck, and do let us know how you get on if you can.
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18-04-2019, 03:31 PM
9

Re: Garden maintenance for disabled

That's one of the reasons I moved, weeds rooting in gravel! If you live next to countryside it's impossible to stop them.
We have a group for people with learning difficulties who have offered to help folk with gardening. It gives both parties help as the folk with learning disabilities get to do jobs and meet people and folk with disabilities or elderly get their gardens done.
I was going to apply but my garden needs a bit of planning first.
Try FB local groups, they are good for advice and putting people in touch.
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Galloway2019
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Galloway2019 is offline
Galloway, Scotland
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 52
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23-04-2019, 09:36 PM
10

Re: Garden maintenance for disabled

Hi,
Just letting you all know i have been reading all the great ideas and will be doing some planning for garden projects, thankyou very much for your help.
Brian
ps sorry for not replying sooner but health probs have been pretty bad but on the mend now.
 
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