Raised beds can be constructed or purchased in heights as short as 5 inches and as tall as 3 feet. For gardeners looking to avoid painful bending, we recommend taller beds. It is also helpful to build beds narrow enough so that the owner can reach half the width from either side easily to weed and care for their plants. Additionally, space beds wide enough apart to easily allow a wheelchair, walker, scooter or wheelbarrow to pass between them and have sufficient space at the ends to turn around.
Since most vegetables require full sun, the beds should be placed in a southern exposure to provide full sunshine. To alleviate concerns of too much sun, consider stretching shade cloth over bent hoops of PVC pipe. Drip system irrigation will provide the best water delivery system and can be easily and inexpensively installed so that mobility-challenged gardeners can irrigate without the difficulty of dragging hoses to hand water.
 |
| Above is a picture of David and Anita Henning’s raised bed system in Kimberly, Idaho. |
Raised beds can be constructed of many materials i.e. cement blocks, weathered railroad ties, cedar, redwood, pine or fir lumber, or pressure treated boards. Fir and pine will not last as long and those materials treated with chemicals will need to be lined to prevent treating compounds from leaching into the soil and contaminating the plants.
Home gardeners can construct their own beds using simple tools or purchase pre-made kits from garden centers. Regardless of which option you choose, the raised bed investment is definitely one to consider to allow you to continue gardening well into old age.
