[accesscomp] FW: Gardening for individuals who are totally blind or with low vision, Dan's tip for Wednesday September 3rd 2014
- From: "Robert Acosta" <boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "tektalk discussion" <tektalkdiscussion@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2014 10:18:47 -0700
Robert Acosta, President
Helping Hands for the Blind
(818) 998-0044
www.helpinghands4theblind.org
From: dan Thompson [mailto:dthompson5@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2014 7:35 AM
To: dan Thompson
Subject: Gardening for individuals who are totally blind or with low vision,
Dan's tip for Wednesday September 3rd 2014
Today's tip has two parts. The beginning of each is marked with
an asterisk and roman numeral.
First is a section with several helpful suggestions for more efficient
gardening from the Oregon State University.
Secondly, information about a very well organized site specifically for
blind or visually impaired gardeners. The site is, Thrive "Gardening for
blind or partially sighted people, information and advice"
"
*I. Publication EM 8498-E, available only online.
Most people with visual impairments are not totally blind, but they do have
various kinds of mild to severe visual problems. According to the National
Eye Institute, only 10% of the 14 million visually impaired people in the
United States are completely blind. Because a portion of the gardening
public in Oregon has some visual impairment, this publication provides
several adaptive methods and suggestions to make gardening simpler for these
gardeners.
Design
Avoid curved pathways because they make orientation difficult. Path segments
should be straight, with changes in direction marked by a shrub or with a
change in the texture of the path material. Steps should be accompanied by a
rail that begins several feet ahead of the steps.
Make flower borders and planted beds no more than three feet across so the
gardener can reach the plants while kneeling and working with short-handled
tools. Island beds, with access from two sides, can be wider, as long as the
gardener can easily reach the centre of the bed from either side.
Arrange plants in beds in groups of three to five, in straight rows, to make
specific plant types easier to locate.
Group colours with the help of sighted friends or from memory. Variety in
texture and shape of foliage give added satisfaction in terms of touch.
Distribute scent in the garden to various locations and at different times
of the year. Individual fragrances can help the gardener locate particular
areas.
Use sound makers, such as wind chimes, flutter mills, and moving water,
which can help the gardener locate special parts of the garden.
Seedlings
Seed sown in individual containers or spaced individually in a tray make
thinning, which is difficult without vision, unnecessary. Try these tips:
A board with holes drilled in it helps space seeds in a tray. For example, a
plastic board with five rows of eight holes works well when planting larger
seedling trays or flats. Holes 1-inch in diameter allow room for the
gardener to cover each seed with a thin layer of soil.
To sow tiny seeds, have small 3/4-inch pieces of toilet tissue ready. Spread
a few seeds on a plate. Pick up one or two seeds on a damp finger, then rub
the seeds onto a piece of tissue and wad it up. Drop the tissue through one
of the holes in the board. The tissue will disintegrate quickly when covered
with soil.
To form straight rows in the vegetable garden, stretch a cord between two
pegs and use it as a guide when sowing seeds. The cords help mark the rows
until seedlings grow. Rows of vegetables can be identified with braille
labels or wooden vegetable shapes on pegs.
When potting plants, there is an easy way to centre the plant in a
medium-sized pot. Put a layer of potting soil into the new pot, then centre
a smaller pot on top of the soil. Fill the sides of the larger pot with
soil, pressing the soil down a bit. Remove the small pot from the centre,
put the plant into the resulting hole, and add enough soil to hold the plant
in place.
Tools
Long-handled tools, such as rakes, forks and spades, are best for preparing
the garden. Tools with short handles (8 to 30 inches) are better for
cultivating because they allow the gardener to touch and cultivate at the
same time.
Use "one-handed" shears for pruning. They leave one hand free to feel the
plant.
Paint tool handles a light colour to contrast with the soil. Colour contrast
can also be used for containers, pathways, fences, gate latches, table edges
in the greenhouse, steps and other things the gardener might have trouble
finding or noticing.
Keep tools in a bucket or gardener's apron. Place weeds and garden debris in
a bucket.
Knee pads are helpful, since much of the work will be done while kneeling.
A wheelbarrow with two wheels, a resting leg and one handle is ideal for
visually impaired gardeners. It can be pushed with one hand and is more
stable than a regular single-wheeled barrow. A portable radio attached to
the wheel-barrow makes it easier to locate.
The gardener's problems range from difficulty in reading a pesticide label
to finding the lawnmower. Gas-driven and large electric mowers are unsafe
for visually impaired gardeners. A hand mower is best; a quiet,
battery-powered mower is next best. Blades should be well guarded,
adjustments easy to make, and the power should stop automatically when the
operator releases the handle.
Make a guideline from a cord stretched between two stakes, one at each end
of the lawn strip to be mowed. The stakes can be moved to mark each new
strip. Pegs, garden forks, a long strip of wood on the ground and a sound
beacon are among other types of marking that can be used.
Maintenance
Correct growing conditions help keep plants healthy. If detected early,
pests and diseases can be controlled with such mechanical means as barriers,
traps, spraying with a jet of water or removing damaged parts of plants.
If the gardener has no sight, it is difficult to detect pests and diseases
in their early stages. Assistance from a sighted friend is helpful.
Other, non-chemical, pest control measures include encouraging beneficial
insects, using soaps, spray oils, or botanical insecticides, and accepting a
certain amount of damage. It's best to leave mixing and applying pesticides
to a sighted friend.
Use syringes with raised markings to measure liquid fertilizers and similar
products. Some liquid products are measured out in the container cap, which
is difficult to do without spilling.
Shape, texture and sometimes smell distinguish weeds from desirable plants.
Use short-handled tools instead of chemical herbicides to remove weeds. Use
landmarks to divide an area. Then weed one section at a time.
To prune thorny plants, wear gloves with a hole cut for the pad of the index
finger. This allows the gardener to use that finger to find thorns and avoid
scratching the rest of the hand. Large trees and shrubs are the most
difficult to prune.
Others shouldn't work in a visually impaired person's garden. That way the
gardener can maintain a consistent mental image of the garden's condition
and needs.
*II. Thrive
Gardening for blind or partially sighted people, information and advice,
http://www.carryongardening.org.uk/gardening-for-blind-and-partially-sighted
-people.aspx
Thrive has worked with visually impaired gardeners for more than 30 years
and during this time we have collected a wealth of gardening hints, tips and
stories from blind and partially sighted people.
Sharing this knowledge with others is an important part of our work, so to
help you start or continue gardening at home on your own, or with family and
friends, or in gardening groups and clubs, we publish a range of leaflets,
fact sheets and books. Some of these publications are free and some can be
purchased from the Thrive website.
Find out more about
<http://www.carryongardening.org.uk/thrive-publications-for-disabled-gardene
rs.aspx> Thrive publications for visually impaired gardeners
http://www.carryongardening.org.uk/gardening-for-blind-and-partially-sighted
-people.aspx
There is practical information to make most garden jobs easier, advice on
how to take care, other useful hints and tips, and notes about which
equipment and tools will be particularly helpful.
These are the gardening jobs that we cover - getting ready, digging,
weeding, mowing and lawn maintenance, pruning, trimming hedges, sweeping and
raking, watering, sowing seeds, planting out, growing in containers and tips
on garden design.
Thrive has worked with visually impaired gardeners for more than 30 years
and during this time we have collected a wealth of gardening hints, tips and
stories from blind and partially sighted people.
Prayer for Inner Peace
Lord, help me to live in Your joy and peace. Give me strength and
understanding to resist anxiety, anger, envy, depression, bitterness,
hopelessness, loneliness, fear and guilt. Rescue me when "my spirit is
overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is distressed" (Psalm 143:4). I
refuse to let my life be brought down by negative emotions such as these.
When I am tempted to give in to them, show me Your Truth. You have said in
Your Word that by our patience we can possess our souls (Luke 21:19) Give me
patience so I can do that. Help me to keep my 'heart with all diligence,"
for I know that "out of it spring the issues of life: (Proverbs 4:23).
To subscribe to Dan's tips or dedaily devotions, send an email to
dthompson5@xxxxxxxxx with either "subscribe dan's tips" or "subscribe daily
devotion" in the subject.
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