Suppose you love gardening, but you walk with a stick. Then working in the garden is possible, but it does require the necessary adjustments. The Van Swietentuin in Frederiksoord is bursting with smart solutions for adapted gardening. Because everyone should be able to dig into the soil, says chairman Jan Nijman.
The idea to focus on ‘adapted gardening’ came in 1984. Then the horticultural school in Frederiksoord celebrated its 100th anniversary, and the idea was born to set up an adjacent garden, specially adapted for people with disabilities. For example, a zone has been set up for pole walkers and a section for wheelchair users. “Money was collected, a plan was made and the ground cleared. The garden was opened on 1 July ’87,” says Nijman.
“It’s just really nice, because you can see it refurbishing under your hands.” Volunteer Jenny Been has been active in the Van Swietentuin since the 1980s. Now she is pulling weeds out of the ground.
Of all the gardens where she can pull weeds, she specifically chose this one. “It’s actually a really nice goal to show people how they can still garden when they are disabled.”
Watch this video to see how things work in the special garden in Frederiksoord: