BATHTUB GARDENS

I've searched for unique ideas for gardens for the physically disabled on the Web and in various garden-related e-mail groups. In the course of conversations with Dolores the Hosta Lady from the Hosta e-mail robin, I learned of her Aunt Mary's unique garden. Aunt Mary lived before telephones and TVs were standard equipment in every home. She gardened for recreation although she had lost the use of her legs to polio (in the days before the polio vaccine). I believe that Aunt Mary's solution to gardening is the most unique I've heard of anywhere!

Aunt Mary collected old bathtubs*. These bathtubs were scattered throughout her yard. Some were located in sunny places while others were in the shade. Soil and large rocks were used to landscape the space between and around the tubs. Paths covered with ground covers led between them. Aunt Mary planted rock garden plants and grasses in the rocks surrounding the tubs. She also had iris and daylily beds on one side of her tub garden and a garden of fruiting shrubs for the birds on the other side. Children played in the grassy area that formed a backdrop for the gardens.

Some tubs were filled with compost and specialized soil mixtures. Since Aunt Mary was connected with the Missouri Botanical Gardens, she had plants from around the world. Using bathtubs made it easier for her to provide the specialized soil mixtures they needed. She had other tubs filled with water for water plants and fish. Imagine looking out over this scene!

Dolores shared her memories of pleasant summer evenings sitting by the garden while drinking her grandpa's homemade root beer. I can't imagine a more pleasant scene. Aunt Mary didn't allow her disability to stop her from gardening even in the days before adaptive tools. She loved plants and nature and found a way to enjoy both. Dolores' family only regrets that no pictures exist of the gardens because they were buried under tons of soil after Aunt Mary died.

Suggestion for Renovators

Dolores' story about her Aunt Mary's garden led me to think about a unique possibility in today's world. Most large cities have building renovation companies that tear down old buildings. Surely some of those buildings have bathtubs. These could be donated to a local rehabilitation center for gardening purposes! If you happen to be a physical or occupational therapist reading this, consider contacting a firm like this in your locality. You could help recycle old bathtubs and provide gardens easily tended by disabled people at the same time.

Even a private homeowner could locate old bathtubs for this purpose. They may have to be careful to landscape in a manner that doesn't offend the senses of their neighbors, but Aunt Mary showed it could be done. One of the special benefits of this garden is the ease with which special soils can be provided for various plants. You would have to be careful to provide a good drainage layer in the bottom of the tub since drainage would be limited to the one drain hole. This shouldn't limit you too much. Imagine having a tub for plants wanting high moisture levels, or bog-like conditions. Another one could provide the needs for alpine or rock garden plants. Still others might provide desert-like conditions for various cacti or succulents. They make perfect water gardens if the drainhole is blocked. Perhaps they could be sunk into the floor of a patio to create a water garden? Let your imagination run wild here — what would you do with a bathtub garden?

Thank you, Dolores, for sharing a piece of your family's history. As you stated, your Aunt Mary was certainly a woman ahead of her times — employed outside the home and into recycling.

If a reader has a similar story to share from your family's history, please feel free to contact me at gardenofeden@ibm.net. Until next week, good gardening to you!

*Bath tub picture was provided by Affordable Antique Bath & More Affordable Antique Bath & More