Special Words for Special Needs ~ Gardening with the Blind
4:46 PM, Apr. 24, 2009
Welcome my friends, again, to Special Words for Special Needs. This week on the Porch we are chatting about gardens. I can close my eyes and think of an August morning in the garden. The tomatoes are heavy on the vine. The herbs are bulging out of their beds. The squash and melons have crept into the tomato beds. The faintest hint of orange is touching the pumpkins. I feel so relaxed and fulfilled at the thought that the families hard work is showing fruit.
I realized that so much of my memory is smell, sound, and touch. That got me to thinking can our blind or sight impaired children find such fulfillment in the garden along side us? Silly, Heather, of course they can!
There are some great resources on the web. Ideas from gardeners that are blind, sharing how they work best in the garden. One really great article was from The Herb Companion There are ideas from blind gardeners, tips on what to plant, gardens to go to around the nation, and organizations that might be able to help you.
Another site I found with some practical tips is Vision Aware
When you are gardening for a visual impaired or blind person consider the plants that you are putting in. Things like tomatoes--they are rugged and can stand being buried deeper than the original root ball. Tomatoes also put off a distinctive smell and feel to the leaves. Mint is another plant that can with stand a lot of handling and thrive. Lavender and other aromatic herbs are wonderful. They are safe to eat and easy to distinguish from other plants.
Here is a link to an Organic Gardening article. It discusses the sensory garden, using various highly aromatic plants to delight the senses.
I hope I have given you some ideas and some places to get solid information. Enjoy the outdoors. The Lord's work is delightful and enjoyable by every child, no matter their strengths or weaknesses. I don't think I will ever set foot into my garden again without closing my eyes and sensing the wonders that surround me. God bless my friends! I wish you all the best with your gardens.
Heather lives in West Virginia. She and her husband have been homeschooling their 5 children for 7 years. Due to a genetic disorder their children have multiple special needs. Living life to the fullest for the glory of God is their goal! Visit Heather's at GFCF Mom of Many or Special Needs Homeschooling
Magazine but not quite ready to commit to a subscription without seeing it first?
Check it out for FREE! We're so certain you'll love our publication that we'll gladly send a FREE sample to anyone new to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine - we even cover the shipping!
Welcome to the HSB announcement blogboard from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine,
LLC. We hope you will enjoy the articles posted here by the Porch Team. Please feel free to leave comments!
~ Tia Linschied, Senior Editor of HSB
Our E-Newsletters give you wonderful, informative information about homeschooling, news bits, contests and PRIZES for homeschoolers, articles to encourage you, calls for writers, free unit studies and lesson plans, and just a lot of FUN. Bring the community to your inbox, and no worries, we never sell, trade or give your email or any other information out to anyone.
Come join the homeschool party!
The Homeschool Minute is our most
popular newsletter, full of encouragement and support just for YOU!
Subscribe to *FREE* newsletters offered by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.
