Gardening Resources
Maine Resources
Maine AgrAbility - A collaboration between the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Alpha One, provides extensive resources for accessible gardening. Their offerings include guides on building raised beds, ergonomic tools, and safe gardening techniques for individuals with various disabilities. They also offer educational materials and videos to assist gardeners in creating accessible garden spaces.
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - Therapeutic Horticulture - Features the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, a universally accessible space designed for therapeutic horticulture. They offer programs that engage individuals of all abilities in gardening activities, promoting physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being.
Maine Foodscapes - Partners with local organizations to provide educational and therapeutic gardening programs. Their initiatives include building accessible community gardens and offering horticultural therapy opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness, in recovery, or living with disabilities.
RCAM's Gardening Program - Supplies raised beds to individuals with physical limitations, enabling them to engage in vegetable gardening. They also manage a community garden that provides free produce to local residents, enhancing food security and community involvement.
Maine CITE - Offers webinars on creating accessible school and community gardens. These sessions cover design concepts that go beyond ADA standards, aiming to make garden spaces welcoming and comfortable for users of all ages and abilities.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension - Community Garden Map - Provides a comprehensive Community Garden Map to help residents locate community gardens across the state. This resource categorizes gardens into types such as neighborhood, institutional, and demonstration gardens, facilitating connections between Mainers and local gardening opportunities.
Cultivating Community (Portland) - Operates several community gardens within Portland's city limits, offering residents space to grow healthy, local food. Their programs emphasize food justice, youth leadership, and sustainable agriculture, aiming to nourish communities through accessible growing spaces.
Merrymeeting Food Council - Community Garden Toolkit - Offers a comprehensive Community Garden Toolkit, developed in partnership with the Maine Cooperative Extension. This resource includes planning guides and management strategies for individuals or groups interested in starting or maintaining community gardens in Maine.
Regional Resources
Northeast Horticultural Therapy Network (NEHTN) - A professional organization dedicated to promoting horticulture as an effective therapy through advocacy, education, and financial support. Serving the New England region, NEHTN connects practitioners and organizations interested in therapeutic gardening.
Cape Abilities - Therapeutic Horticulture (Massachusetts) - Offers a Therapeutic Horticulture program featuring wheelchair-accessible raised beds. This initiative provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to engage in gardening activities, fostering physical and emotional well-being.
Incompass Human Services - Therapeutic Garden (Massachusetts) - Located in Chelmsford, Incompass Human Services has developed a therapeutic garden for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The garden serves as a sanctuary where participants can connect with nature and develop gardening skills.
Farmsteads of New England (New Hampshire) - Provides a residential farming community and day services for adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Participants engage in various farming and gardening activities, promoting independence and community involvement.
Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut - Garden Therapy - The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut offers Garden Therapy programs tailored for individuals with developmental disabilities, dementia, vision and hearing impairments, and physical limitations. These programs aim to enhance the quality of life through gardening activities.
Mass Audubon - Accessible Nature Trails (Massachusetts) - Mass Audubon has developed wheelchair-accessible trails, known as All Persons Trails, at various wildlife sanctuaries across the state. These trails feature wide, even paths, frequent seating, and interpretive features, allowing individuals of all abilities to enjoy nature.
National Resources
National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability (NCHPAD) - Offers comprehensive resources on accessible gardening, including guides on adapted tools, raised beds, and vertical gardening techniques. Their materials are designed to assist individuals with mobility limitations in creating and maintaining accessible garden spaces.
Accessible Gardens - Cooperative Extension System - Provides a national resource on designing accessible gardens. Their guidance includes information on garden layouts, adaptive tools, and techniques to ensure that gardening is accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
The Disabled Gardener - A national initiative that empowers individuals with disabilities to engage in gardening by providing accessible tools, inclusive garden design tips, and educational resources tailored to various physical and financial limitations. Focused on making gardening both therapeutic and practical, the organization offers guides for creating wheelchair-friendly gardens, promotes butterfly gardening for well-being, and fosters a supportive community through partnerships and outreach.
American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) - Dedicated to advancing horticultural therapy as a professional discipline and therapeutic practice. As a nonprofit, membership-driven entity, AHTA's mission encompasses promoting horticultural therapy through information dissemination, professional development, establishment of professional standards, promotion of research, advocacy, and educational opportunities . AHTA offers professional credentials such as the Horticultural Therapist-Registered (HTR) and the Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner (THP), ensuring practitioners meet rigorous education and training standards . The association supports a diverse membership, including therapists, educators, researchers, and healthcare professionals, and provides resources like standards of practice, program definitions, and a professional registry. AHTA also advocates for the integration of horticultural therapy into healthcare and human services, emphasizing its benefits in rehabilitation, mental health, and community wellness.
Accessible Gardening: Tools and Resources for Green Thumbs - This guide provides information on adapted gardening tools and methods suitable for individuals with physical disabilities. It includes a selection of books, websites, and other resources to assist in creating accessible gardening experiences.