What do you do when you go away?

kylie77 · Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:10 pm

I thought I'd post this here since containers need to be watered a lot more than an inground garden. I was wondering what you all do when you go on vacation? I have a pile of lovely plants started and can't wait to get them out! Many will be in containers due to lack of space. I will be going away for about 5 days at the end of june and don't know what to do. I have a neighbour who will likely be happy to at least water my front plants, but I'm worried she'll think it's asking too much to have her water the back ones too. I was thinking about putting some bottles of water upsidedown in each container, but don't know how long these would last. By the end of june it will be quite hot here, so the plants will need a fair amount of water. Is it just a matter of finding someone to take care of them for me or is there a trick to keeping them watered for that amount of time?

hendi_alex · Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:27 pm

I had the problem last year as was going out of town several days per week to work on my daughter's house. Invested in a couple of the $40 programmable timers at Lowes and set each one to feed two overlapping rainbirds. Had them come on for about 20 minutes twice per day during the heat. Most plants did just fine, but you have to find just the right spot to place a plant that likes to stay drier.

The Helpful Gardener · Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:57 pm

Friends, family and neighbors; you just have to return the favor. The Japanese call that the web of obligation...

HG

cynthia_h · Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:13 pm

If you have any pets who need pet-sitting while you're away, include the plant care with the pet sitting. When I had my pet-sitting business, I offered plant care (watering, mostly, and making observations re. any potential problems) to my clients. I also brought in the mail and any newspapers, changed the lights around (on/off patterns), brushed/combed pets, administered pet meds, etc.

But I think the friends/relatives/neighbors would be a better first choice, like HG said.

Good for you, planning this far in advance for late June.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

hendi_alex · Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:49 pm

I have a near neighbor and very good friend. We always cover for each other when away. But some things are just too much. We have the plants on the porch, the plants on the deck, a couple of nursery areas in the yard, and another six or eight in ground and raised bed areas. And finally, during hot weather the potted plants need water twice per day. That is simply too much to ask of a friend week after week. The timers covered the majority of the effort, actually ended up with four or five timers in our case, before the end of the summer. They covered much of the routine watering chores and then our friend just visited once per day to bring in the mail, check on things and see if anything needed individual attention, or if a timer quit working. Of coarse the deck still needed daily attention. Thankfully, during that period the garden was in full production, and my buddy was able to harvest as he wished. As they have no garden, that perk was a decent offsett or reward for the effort.

IMO it really depends upon the situation and the amount of effort involved. Just a few plants or a couple of beds, no big deal. But for a two hour per day regimine, for us it became a bigger problem than simply asking a friend.

kylie77 · Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:06 pm

Thanks! I haden't thought about a timer since that's not an option for us. We live in a townhouse, and wouldn't be allowed to leave our hose lying out, at least not over the grass. The other problem is that our outside tap leaks badly (hopefully they'll get around to fixing it soon) so if we left it on we'd flood everything including our basement!

It won't be a huge job since we only have 1 bed in the front, and will have some planters on the porch and probably hanging as well. In the back we have 2 small beds, and will have lots of containers on the deck. I think what I'll have to do is ask my neighbour to take care of the front since last year we did that for each other a bunch of times. I may be able to get a neighbourhood kid to take care of the back if I pay them something for the effort. It won't be a long time, but I sure would hate to have all my plants dead by the time I got back

. All that effort for nothing. I can't imagine that I could expect anyone to do it the way I would, but hopfully for 5 or 6 days they'll be ok as long as they're watered.

vintagejuls · Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:07 am

Friends or neighbors and return the favor... or pay it forward.

Kisal · Sat Apr 18, 2009 3:09 am

Friends, because I have dogs that need to be cared for as well.

rainbowgardener · Sat Apr 18, 2009 7:51 am

We've been lucky. We have pretty much of an operation here, with cats (who are ok on their own for a couple days, but not a week), birdfeeders, plants all over the place, pond with fish... We have a couple friends who live in a little apartment with no yard who enjoy coming to stay at our place while we are gone, have a little "country vacation" in the city

We do pay them something, but not as much as we would pay a professional. It's worked out well, but unfortunately they are leaving town soon

, so we will have to see if we can find other apt dwelling friends....

kylie77 · Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:34 pm

I spoke to my lovely neighbour yesterday. I mentioned that I'd be going away and asked if she could look after the front. Then I asked if it would be too much to ask if she could do the back as well, but if she couldn't I'd find someone else. She had no hesitation at all, and seems happy to do it. Phew! She also is into gardening although mostly flowers (I gave her a few veg plants that I wouldn't have room for). She's very commited to her own garden, so I'm sure she'll do an excellent job! How nice to have helpful neighbours eh?!

The Helpful Gardener · Sun Apr 19, 2009 11:23 pm

Part of gardening IS sense of communities, be it the folks across the fence, the species around the plants, or our associations with the planet itself. To tie into one is to tie into all of it, it engenders a nurturing nature. Our better natures, both physical and spiritual, can be found in how we care for people, plants, and planet.

So spread the love, spread the veggies and and spread the word.

Let's garden...

HG

kylie77 · Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:13 am

You know that's what I'm learning and what I'm finding so exciting I think. I just look at nature in a different light. Spring was always my fav time of year because things come alive again, and... it's not yet too hot for me! lol But I think from now on spring will be so much more exciting. Growing stuff is helping me to feel grounded, and part of the earth if that makes sense. It let's me appreciate the wonder of life in such a different way.

I have also learned that people love to talk about their gardens! Everytime I've bought something for the garden, soil, seeds, whatever, I end up chatting with someone. And... they're always in such good moods too!

It's quite funny because I never would've imagined myself getting 'into' gardening. My mom was always trying to get us to help her with her gardens, but I hated it! I think now I have this bug, I'll be planting something wherever I happen to go!

Kitty · Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:11 am

kylie77 wrote:You know that's what I'm learning and what I'm finding so exciting I think. I just look at nature in a different light. Spring was always my fav time of year because things come alive again, and... it's not yet too hot for me! lol But I think from now on spring will be so much more exciting. Growing stuff is helping me to feel grounded, and part of the earth if that makes sense. It let's me appreciate the wonder of life in such a different way.

I have also learned that people love to talk about their gardens! Everytime I've bought something for the garden, soil, seeds, whatever, I end up chatting with someone. And... they're always in such good moods too!

It's quite funny because I never would've imagined myself getting 'into' gardening. My mom was always trying to get us to help her with her gardens, but I hated it! I think now I have this bug, I'll be planting something wherever I happen to go!

I read this post and thought, hey, I could have written this! It expresses exactly what I feel, and I felt very happy to read this.

Exploring into the avenue of gardening has helped me get in touch with nature too, and feel much happier all through the day. It is a pleasure to wake up in the mornings now, because now I wake up to water my plants or spend some time with them. My life feels a bit more "full" since I started growing my flowers, I can't explain it.

I now see birds in my balcony garden and it just feels so good. This is one hobby I wouldn't regret!

Cheers,
Kitty.

kylie77 · Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:08 pm

I guess I figure the point of life is learning, and finding enjoyment in new things. I'm so glad you are enjoying gardening as much as I am. It's wonderful to have a new hobbie. And, one that benefits the whole family as well!

!potatoes! · Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:46 pm

what do I do when I'm away? whatever I want! I'm on vacation, right?

think I lucked out in that department this year. sharing garden space at a friend's house...as long as we don't go away at the same time, all should be well, as long as I can get her to come water at my house, too...