NEW MARKET, Va. -- What do you do when the colors fade, when your pathways are in perpetual shade? If you're at least partially sighted, you continue to garden, of course.

Gardening can be great therapy for the roughly 12 to 14 million Americans who are visually impaired, or for those with other disabilities or special needs.

"Our first task is to help people who are partially sighted maximize their remaining sight," says Patricia Jordan, a spokeswoman for The Center for the Partially Sighted in Los Angeles.

To do that, consider lighting, magnification and contrast.

Gardening generally is an outdoor activity, and that poses problems for people with certain eye conditions. So Rule No. 1 is to protect your eyes from the sun.

When shopping for sunglasses, look for labels indicating they absorb 99 to 100 percent of all ultraviolet light. "People with low vision can have their glasses coated for UV protection without darkening the view," Jordan says.

Hand magnifiers are helpful for gardeners with reduced vision. "They might allow the person to examine a flower or vegetable for damage, or find markers distinguishing one area of the garden from another."

By creating some contrast in your garden, you should be able to distinguish between areas visually. "If you design a garden so white or light-colored flowers are planted between darker ones," Jordan says, "you can tell where one (flower) type ends and another begins."

Organization is everything, beginning with garden layout and continuing through harvest.

Keep gardening tools in a set place and in a particular order because it may not be easy to tell them apart, Jordan says. "Gardens could be planted alphabetically, too, to help locate items."

"The point is to develop a system and use it, especially if your vision loss is progressive. Having those systems in place will help if your vision diminishes."

Larry Caplan, an extension horticulturist with Purdue University, recommends planting gardens that speak to the senses. That serves functional as well as aesthetic ends.

Wind chimes, trees with interesting bark or the sounds made by water fountains can help low-vision gardeners orient themselves. Scents from herbs or certain flowers can separate the various "rooms" within compartmentalized flower or vegetable gardens.

"Plant flowers and herbs with subtle odors," Caplan says. "You can brush against them to release the various scents. That cuts down on what could be overlapping odors from overpowering, plants."

Some other hints: Getting around in the garden should be the first consideration. "Grass can hide uneven ground, which can throw you off balance," Caplan says. "So it's a good idea to use some sort of paving for navigating in the garden or landscape."

Be careful when using wood, like railroad ties or landscape lumber that can become slippery when wet. Plan direct routes through the garden and build lanes with clear beginnings and ends. Path edges should have distinct differences in texture, but avoid raised edging, which can trip you up.

Making the garden a better place to work should be the next consideration. "Raised beds and containers make it easy to reach the soil and plants and are stable and heavy enough for you to sit on the edge or lean on for support," Caplan says. "(But) avoid structures with sharp edges."

Select the right tools. Find trowels with engraved markings for indicating soil depth. That makes it easier to determine how deep to plant bulbs and seeds.

Fashion a garden apron or tool belt with lots of pockets so you can keep your hands free, Caplan says. A four-wheeled wagon can carry several larger tools and be pulled with one hand.

Cordless electric tools are safer than power tools with cords for people with impaired vision. Tools also should have brightly colored handles to prevent loss or to keep people from accidentally grabbing sharp edges.

Keep the rows straight when planting, especially vegetable gardens. Run a cord with evenly spaced knots across the garden and plant your seeds or transplants beneath each knot. You can cut evenly spaced notches into a wooden board and use that as a template.

"Any plant that isn't growing along this straight line can be considered a weed," Caplan says.

Use labels or stakes to indicate which plant stays or goes. Labelers are available for imprinting weatherproof plastic tape either in Braille or in large print, although Jordan says few people read Braille.

"Use a big bold marker and write the letter 'L' for lettuce, and put it on a placard. Write 'B' for beets and so forth," she says.

All plants need watering, although they may not need the same amount. Group plants together that have similar watering needs or frequency, Caplan says. "To avoid accidents, keep hoses off paths and try to avoid making walkways wet and slippery."

The most important thing in weed control is identifying the plant, Caplan says. "Learn to tell the difference between your garden plants and common weeds by sight, touch and smell. You may also want to have an experienced, sighted gardener check your garden and landscape for poison ivy and other dangerous weeds before you handle them."

Once your garden is in, strategically place benches through the area. Then take some time to listen as honeybees and hummingbirds make their rounds, as a freshening breeze stirs plants to whispering.