Steps to Build a Garden For Special Needs Kids
Gardening is America’s favorite past time, but most gardens are not built for those with special needs. Studies show that people with special needs thrive outside and surrounded by nature. Follow these easy steps to build a garden for special needs kids. I know that my Son loves his garden area, the fact that he helped pick out seeds, plants, and the fact that he got to help with the planting makes him feel so proud of himself.
Identifying the Need
Kids with physical limitations or in wheelchairs need gardens to be a bit taller and spaced out well. Square foot gardening is a great gardening layout. The overall square is no larger than 3×3 feet, which makes it easy for little hands to reach in and grab the flowers or vegetables. Raising the garden up to at least 2-3 feet helps kids that are in wheelchairs to be able to till the soil and plant the seeds or pull unwanted weeds.
Square Foot Gardening with Kids: Learn Together
Plants That Are Perfect
Different plants have been shown to be more effective in plant therapy than others. Children with autism or sensory disabilities, do well with plants that have a fuzzy exterior. Plant Lamb’s Ear and the kids can run their fingers over the soft leaves and on their cute little faces. Kids that have trouble grabbing things need to have larger flowers or veggies to hold onto. Plant cucumbers, tomatoes, and green beans as they tend to be easier to harvest.
Flowers To Bring Out Smiles
Steps to Build a Garden For Special Needs Kids
It is no secret that kids and adults alike love flowers. It is such a beautiful thing to see kids’ eyes light up and have smiles cross their faces when they smell the flowers and touch them. Sunflowers are easy to grow and kids love touch their hardy faces. For scent, grow alyssum, which is a spreading flower with the most Heavenly scent. Kids go crazy for Petunias, Gerbera Daisies, Pansies, and so many other wonderfully smelling flowers.
Putting It All Together
A garden that special needs kids will love starts with the square foot gardening layout. Next, use organic potting soil with earthworm castings as your gardening medium. Then add in a mix of flowers and plants that the kids will enjoy growing, eating, and most importantly, touching and smelling. Growing a combination of both vegetables and flowers also will bring beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden. Just wait for the smiles and excitement that those little creatures bring everywhere they go!
Steps to Build a Garden For Special Needs Kids
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Gardening requires so much patients and love and has a tons of reward- I love how you laid out the special tools and plants!
Thank you so much, it is hard to sometimes type up the day to day things we do; but then I remember that there are other Parents who could use this info 😉
Awesome post! I really love it. Actually, I also love to make garden and my kids enjoy it but I don’t allow them to help me. But your post inspires me in this case. Thanks a lot!