Harvesting More than Crops

A garden is synonymous with beauty and serenity. Full of color and the aroma of blooming flowers, a garden brings a sense of peace to the soul of any visitor. The Center for People with Disabilities (CPWD) of Boulder County, Colorado realized this when they purchased a section of property in an urban/industrial setting a couple years ago. Their vision was to incorporate a few flowerbeds into the property for people who live with physical disabilities to enjoy. The vision was surpassed last year when the Adaptive Garden was dedicated in August.

The project broke ground early last year with the assistance of Kerrie Badertscher, Extension Agent for the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension in Boulder County and Growing Gardens of Boulder County. Realizing the potential magnitude of the project, Badertscher donated her knowledge as a horticulturist and landscape designer as well as recruited donations from 43 companies, raising over $80,000 worth of materials and labor.

The project quickly blossomed into a diverse garden divided into several different sections including a water garden, a wildlife area, a fruit crop, an art garden, a cut flower garden, a theme garden, an herb garden, and an area that features a dry stream bed.

"Each area needed to have a path that is suitable for a wheelchair," Badertshcer said. "If we could, we poured concrete and we put a fairly rough texture on it for extra traction." In areas that concrete was not poured, a crushed granite base was applied.

Since the property was designed specifically for people with disabilities, many special features were built for the garden. Elevated planters along with drive-through sheds give the all of the visitors a chance to interact with the earth. "People with a mechanical wheelchair can’t back up very well," Badertscher said. "So we’ve adapted almost everything you can think of in terms of the garden. We have a drive-through composting area so you can drop off your clippings and put your tools away in the shed." To add a challenge for some of the visitors, a bridge was also built on the property to add access to other areas of the garden.

The gardens themselves have both stimulating and functional values. Clients of the CPWD donated sculptures that were placed in the art garden for all of the visitors to enjoy. The theme garden however, offers more of a hands-on setting. Here, they visitors grow plants and harvest them one day a week. "The next day they have cooking and nutrition classes with the plant materials that are harvested," Badertscher said. "Eventually if we had any excess (harvested plant materials), it would go to our community food share program so nothing would go to waste."

The level of support for the project was one of the more impressive aspects. The entire operation was completed by volunteer workers and donated materials; from every plant material, to every piece of hardscape, to every nut and bolt that went into the project. This has created a ripple effect throughout the community. "Now what’s happening in our local area is non-green-industry companies are looking to interface with us," Badertscher said.

"It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to actually be involved in," Badertscher said about helping with the project. "And when you see smiles on people faces and they are connecting to the earth, it’s phenomenal."