Information – Building a Garden

Q: A coworker and I have received a grant to build a wheelchair-accessible garden at our school. We are unsure what to plant for our limited growing season but we’d like to have vegetables and some flowers. Is there a website you could send me to, or some advice to give?

A: I found a great collection of links at WheelchairNet’s information page. The publication from Virginia Tech is particularly helpful.

At this time of year you can plant pansies and ornamental cabbage, kale and chard. Next March you can plant edible cabbage, spinach, lettuce and radishes. Since school is out by late May and few vegetables mature that early, I don’t recommend planting summer vegetables unless you just want the kids to see what the plants look like. Instead, plant herbs and challenge your students to identify them by smell.