Accessibility on a Ramp?

While buildings with wheelchair ramps are mandatory and more common in California, say, than on the East Coast, too great a gradient is a barrier. Raised bed gardens are a boon to people with disabilities who love to garden, but what about gardening on a slope? Carry On Gardening offers several hints.

Many terraced garden designs feature gently sloping paths that are a 1 to 15 inch gradient--in other words, they rise one foot every fifteen feet. Also, shallow steps with four-inch risers are desirable, if you're frustrated over how to build a terraced garden that's accessible and enjoyable. When you're walking or riding on your elevated garden paths, you might want to stop and rest, or sit and compost your elevated gardens.

You can remove parts of the earth to provide flat areas. While you're resting, you might be worried over how to tend all of your terraced garden. Try interspersing rocky gardens on steep slopes with accessible raised beds and ground cover plants such as ajuga, berberis, lavender, and rock roses in inaccessible areas.

Now if your local movie theater would provide a ramp instead of steep steps, you'd be happy--after all, you can't spend every day in the garden.