How to create a wheelchair-friendly garden

Creating an accessible garden ensures that everyone can enjoy the outdoors comfortably. Here are five ways to make your garden wheelchair-friendly:

1. Wide Access Paths: Ensure pathways are wide enough for wheelchairs and made of sturdy materials like paving or compacted gravel. Paths should lead directly to key areas, like the house or seating areas.
2. Install Ramps and Handrails: Replace steps with ramps for easier access. If steps remain, add handrails for support, especially in other parts of the garden where needed.
3. Provide Ample Seating: Create spaces for wheelchairs to park, allowing users to relax comfortably. Choose sturdy, accessible furniture that’s easy to get in and out of.
4. Make Gardening Accessible: Use raised planting beds to allow wheelchair users to garden comfortably. Keep beds at a reachable height and avoid making them too wide.
5. Choose a Low-Maintenance Lawn: Opt for artificial grass or low-maintenance options to reduce the need for strenuous upkeep, making garden care easier for those with mobility challenges.

These adjustments can create a welcoming, enjoyable space for everyone!

Everyone should be able to enjoy their garden without hassle. 

Whether you or a loved one is a wheelchair user or experiences other mobility challenges, you’re probably wondering how to create an accessible garden where everyone can move freely and with ease. 

That’s why we’ve put this article together covering how to create a wheelchair-friendly garden for your home. 

5 ways to create a wheelchair-friendly garden

Access paths to the house

Ensure that the pathways in your garden are wide enough to accommodate the width of a wheelchair and are made of a suitable material, e.g. gravel would not be appropriate. The surfacing you choose should be resistant enough to accommodate the weight of a wheelchair and user. 

Also make sure that the paths lead directly to the areas that need to be accessed. For example, this could be from the house door to the shed or outdoor dining area. 

Install ramps and handrails

If there are any steps in the garden, consider swapping them out for ramps so that wheelchair users can access every area.

If you keep steps, think about installing handrails alongside so anyone with mobility issues can hold on. Also look out for any other areas of the garden that you think could benefit from handrails. 

Ensure plenty of seating space

Gardens are made to be enjoyed, so ensure that there is plenty of space for a wheelchair to park up so the user can sit back and relax in the outdoors.

For those with other mobility issues, select accessible furniture that is easy to get in and out of. Avoid furniture that is flimsy and make sure it’s sturdy. 

Make gardening accessible

Anyone should be able to garden in comfort.

One way to do this is to raise planting beds further off the ground so that wheelchair users can get green-fingered at a height that is suitable for them. You’ll also need to avoid making the beds too wide, as this will be difficult to reach across from a sitting position. 

Get a low-maintenance lawn

If you’re experiencing mobility difficulties, you might find lawn upkeep a challenge, which in some cases leads to more money spent on gardening services.

Artificial grass is therefore an excellent option, allowing you to enjoy a luscious lawn that stays looking good all year round and with minimal maintenance required. 

Here at Easigrass Essex & Hertfordshire, our artificial lawns have won multiple awards, thanks to their authentic appearance which allows you to benefit from a natural-looking lawn without the need for physical labour. 

Enjoy the benefits of a low-maintenance lawn with award-winning artificial grass from Easigrass Essex & Hertfordshire.

Easigrass Essex & Hertfordshire is a leading artificial grass supplier supplying fake grass to homes and businesses across Braintree, Clacton-on-sea, Romford, Basildon, Colchester, Chelmsford, Grays, Brentwood, Harlow, Harpenden, Southend-on-Sea,  St Albans, Billericay,  Hatfield, Bishop’s Stortford, Woodford Green, Hertford, Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City & beyond.

Here at Easigrass Essex & Hertfordshire, we supply and install our award-winning artificial grass for homes across the region. As a low-maintenance option with an ultra-natural appearance, our artificial lawns look the part in any wildlife-friendly garden. To find out more about our products, simply get in touch with our team today. Call us on  01277 284395