I am physically disabled (have a severe balance problem and use a walker for mobility, amongst other problems). We have 1/4 acre and it's all garden :-) Fortunately DH is healthy so he's responsible for anything heavy! I'm a literal 'seat-of-the-pants' gardener! So, two very necassary pieces of garden equipment are my Lee Valley Tools gardener's pants with knee pads in built-in pockets, and rain pants to wear over them when the ground is wet! :-) Another key thing that defines my garden is a network of paths that both shape the garden and allow easy access to the beds. I plant very densely which helps with weed control. The backyard woodland/shade garden is the easiest to maintain; I'm gradually moving the sunny front garden in a similar direction by increasing the amount of shrubs and vines and reducing perennials that need deadheading. It's going to take a few more years to switch the emphasis for the front garden. The link below is to the on-line version of the maintenance manual I put together for our garden. I need to update it this winter for the changes we made this past summer and to list the planned changes for this coming summer, but you might find some of the information there useful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Maintenance maanual for my garden

Thank you for posting your site. I enjoyed reading about, and seeing your beautiful gardens. You have given me some good ideas. Thank you.