Albert and Ted’s Excellent Dahlia Adventure

Ted Ederer and Albert Fuchs with dahlia OMG.

When he was 12 years old, Ted Ederer broke two vertebrae in his lower back playing football. That was in 1953, before the Salk polio vaccine. While in the hospital he contracted polio, a virus that attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis in days. Polio caused irreversible damage to his legs. Polio doesn’t negotiate.

Throughout high school and college, Ederer used crutches and leg and back braces. He switched to a wheelchair for law school. He managed to complete law school, raise a family, have a 50+ year legal career, play one-handed golf, drive a car, plant a garden, and much more—all while using a wheelchair.

Ted and Jeanne Ederer on their Parkshore deck. Photo by Sally Bagshaw.

Now 84, Ted lives in the Parkshore Senior Living Community in Madison Park, where he specializes in geraniums in his planter boxes and dahlias in the garden. Ted is an excellent gardener with support from his wife, Jeanne, and his new gardening buddy, Dr. Albert Fuchs.

Ted is a living example of what one man can accomplish with tenacity and support from loving friends and family.

When Jeanne and Ted moved to the retirement community, Ted thought it meant his dahlia days were over. That thought lasted about a minute. Shortly after moving in, Ted met Dr. Albert Fuchs. Together, they approached Parkshore management about expanding an existing garden on the south side of the building. They overcame management’s initial concerns about fairness to other residents and ongoing maintenance by personally incurring the expense of buying the tubers and promising to undertake the planting and maintenance themselves.

They brought impressive garden credentials to the project. Ted and his wife grew dahlias in their Kirkland garden for decades, and Albert is a retired neurobiology professor, who, along with his wife, Susan, had a large garden before moving to Parkshore.

Jeanne Ederer with OMG and My Forever. Photo by Sally Bagshaw

This is year two for the dahlias in their garden, and what’s happened is one of those miracles that we Master Gardeners embrace. The flowers are glorious and are multiplying as dahlias do. Many varieties are dinner-plate-sized showstoppers.

And even more impressive is the community support that has grown around this garden. These beautiful flowers bring so much joy to their Parkshore neighbors and staff.

I spoke with several neighbors who were delighted with the varieties and colors. A giant yellow sunburst called Kevin Floodlight is the big attraction for a woman from memory care. A waterlily dahlia with peachy pink tones, called My Forever, attracted a neighborhood 4-year-old and her mother.   

Raised containers next to the dining room on the north side of the building have received renewed attention as well, from residents and from a new mother. A mother goose, that is. When ready to fledge, the chicks were delivered to the water via a Parkshore basket. Mom met them on the dock. 

Mother Goose with her spring goslings in raised planter 40’ above the water. Photo by Jeanne Ederer.

The dahlia garden has become a gathering point for Ted’s and Albert’s neighbors. The Parkshore Flower Committee is a big booster of the dahlia project. They have picking rights, and they use their flower arranging talents and Ted and Albert’s fresh dahlias to brighten displays throughout the Parkshore community rooms.  

Playing around in the dirt is healthy for people of all ages. Teachers confirm that kids love garden time, caring for the plants, cooperating, and learning the small steps they can take to improve our planet. As Parkshore residents can attest, getting hands in the dirt is good for seniors and retirees as well.

As I recently wrote, the King County/Master Gardener program promotes spending more time outdoors and prioritizes nearby nature for all ages and abilities. One objective is to make urban garden spaces accessible by using universal design principles.

For people with disabilities, access to gardens requires thoughtful planning and design. Often, access can be provided with modest physical and social modifications that make being outdoors easier for all of us. Many resources are available to learn more about and become a champion for universal design.[1]

For example, smooth pathways that are barrier-free and wide enough for a wheelchair or walker are essential for gardeners with mobility issues, and everyone else can walk more easily too. Curbs and stairs make independent access impossible for anyone using a wheelchair—ramps or gradual transitions are required. 

I watched Albert muscle Ted and his wheelchair onto the Parkshore sidewalk with difficulty. I couldn’t have done it, and Ted couldn’t do it alone. A ramp would make garden access safe and easier for Ted and for those with walkers and other assist devices.

Parkshore management has since installed a ramp to make Ted and Albert’s lives easier. Good for them. And good for everyone else who loves their dahlias. It’s a small but mighty victory to show how a positive response can improve both access and conditions for so many people. 

Gardening is great exercise. It helps maintain muscle strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health, which are good for everyone. But weeding, pruning, and watering from a wheelchair calls for more than a bucket and a set of bypass pruners.

Ted says he and Albert share maintenance duties. Parkshore has a watering system that regularly waters the dahlias, but there isn’t a hose on the south side of the building. So, when more directed water is needed, Albert schleps the water from inside and Ted pours a capful of liquid fertilizer into the watering can. Ted deadheads what he can reach while encouraging Albert and whispering kind words to the plants. That’s their agreed 50/50 division of labor.

Here are some tried-and-true suggestions on making gardening easier for gardeners who are managing various physical or cognitive challenges[1]:

• Raised beds narrow enough to reach plants from a seated position can turn a burdensome chore into a frolic in the dirt. Here’s an example from eartheasy.com.
• Adaptive tools with extended handles can help. This is just one example; please note I do not offer the link as a product promotion.
• Volunteers are just waiting to be asked to help. Examples include Americorps Seniors and Seattle Giving Garden Network. For bigger projects, Plant Amnesty can arrange for a training work crew to prune your overgrown garden. Their teams do amazing work, usually for a fee.

Lastly, the joy multiplies when the community joins in. As Ted and Albert will tell you, neighbors who work together and share their fresh flowers and vegetables find a renewed sense of purpose. The connections built through accessible gardening will last a very long time.

The Master Gardener Foundation of King County invites you to its Cool Plants, Hot Topics Plant Sale and Talks at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. This vibrant event is perfect for gardening enthusiasts of all levels, offering a fantastic selection of unique plants to add to your collection. Beyond shopping, you can enjoy engaging talks from gardening experts on topics ranging from sustainable gardening to creative plant design. Meet fellow plant lovers, gather tips to make your garden thrive, and soak in a day full of inspiration, fun, and community. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this event promises something for everyone!

Contributor Sally Bagshaw is a Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative alum, former three-term Seattle City Councilmember, and former Chief Civil Deputy for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Sally is a lawyer, mediator, and advocate for government that functions responsibly. Master Gardener through the WSU Extension/King County program.