MeMo, here is a link that discusses this. Go to the home page and on the right, click on column and the find the article.

It is basically a wooden box with a plywood bottom with holes for drainage. This is placed on a table. It is filled with special mix so the weight would be less than soil.
What might be more attractive than the odd table would be a frame of wood (treated) to support the box which could then be built to your specifications. You would just have to have the support the height your chair could roll under.

My sister's husband built her greenhouse benches using galvanized pipe with heavy welded metal wire tops.
Something similar could be done just making them taller so the chair would roll under. Then place the boxes on top rather than the normal flats. You just use the galvanized fittings and might have to have some pipe cut and threaded to the right height. I will check and see what he did.

I will keep thinking on it and if something else comes to me I will add to this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Square foot gardening in a wheelchair

If you're able to get Rancher to build a lath house, I'm thinking hanging baskets, on chains long enough to hang at a level where you can work, or with pulleys where you can raise and lower them.

Even without a lath house, hanging baskets can hang from a galvanized pipe structure, or the eaves of the house.

Nell

Hi Memo, Glad to see you wanting to garden again. You will have lots of options, you just need to find the one you like.

When you mentioned a potager, I thought of this.

A trough planter built specifically to the height that you need. All that would take is some 4x4's and 2x4's for supports and then plywood. You could build this in separate troughs, just big enough for you to reach, and in a design. What I mean by design is you could have a rectangular design with troughs all around you. The troughs would be far enough apart for you to easily access with your chair all around....so you could reach from all sides.
Really all you need is 8 to 12 inches of dirt to grow most root crops. You can buy the smaller carrots and beets will grow wonderfully in that much soil. Lettuces, even some 'little marvel' peas would do well in there. Bush cucs and bush 8 ball squash. Tiny Tim, patio and tumbler tomatoes. And all sorts of flowers.

You could start with a couple of troughs to see how you like it and then add to it each year.

Hanging baskets on pullies would also work....but they also don't have to be on pullies. They could be just sitting on a solid plank at the right height. A group of pots on these planks could look very nice...you could access from both sides. This could be easily made again with 4x4's and 2x4's for supports and 2x10's or 2x12's for the shelf.
A hanging planter stand. Where you could plant up your pots on a potting table and have the rancher hang them on the stand for you....so the pots are at your height to look after them. I have a hanging planter stand for my begonias and fuchsias. It is made out of landscape ties and 2x4's.

Cinder blocks might be something else that could be used as supports for troughs and planters...might be cheaper than wood.

Also a long watering wand so you don't get soaked when watering.

You have lots of possibilities. Gardening is for everyone...you just have to find what works for you. I'll keep thinking and if I come up with anything else I'll post it for you. If you keep this on the forum and not in email, you may be helping other people with great ideas as well.

Sierra

Hi MeMo - I too am glad that you're going to garden again, and it's been great to hear from you again!! I'm no expert, but did find a couple of links that might be worth a read!!

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/enabling_garden/9786

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/1391/disabled.htm

I tried to copy and paste two pics from the last web site but my computer is being hateful right now. Scroll towards the bottom of that page, and there are 2 links for pics of raised beds.

Nancy.

Hi all, I've been spending hours and hours working over this post, following the links which lead me to so many thoughts and more and more links. I came back to it again today and realized I never even said thank you, let alone a word to any of you who responded to my query. Shame on me!!

I had thought of different 2x4 or 4x4 combinations to make tables and boxes, I checked into buying calf feed bunks (ouch!) and also looked for a place to by 55 gal drums from so I could cut them lengthwise to make troughs with, no luck there. I also checked out Rubbermaid waterers for small animals but the sizes available are not really right for what I need. I had not thought of galvanized pipe at all!

I talked it over with the Rancher today and we did some tentative measuring and he's going to do some creative thinking with the ideas y'all have given to me. He's also going to call around and get some pricing to see what would be most economical and still look good in the yard with funcion in mind. I guess he missed his 'matos and cuc's last summer ;)

Thanks one more time!! You are all the greatest of friends to me. And Sierra, thank you, I appreciate your encouragement as much as your suggestions.

MeMo

So very glad to hear that you plan to continue to garden. I know how much you always enjoyed it! I really don't have any suggestions, other than what has already been posted above. Hopefully you and rancher will find a great solution. Please keep us posted.
Mary lu

Thank you Mary Lu. It's good to see you posting again too!

MeMo