| Garden sitters do the work while the homeowner's away Gardeners don't have to stay housebound during the vacation season just because their edibles and flowers need tending. "Florida has a great deal of 'snowbirds' (winter residents) who go away for half a year and come back and all their landscaping is dead," she said. Fruit flies. " Reliable plant sitters can offer peace of mind for vacationing gardeners, Sommersdorf said. "But we're not going to clean or paint the home. " Sommersdorf got into the garden-sitting business a few years ago after asking a friend to take care of her tomatoes while she was away. "They had worms everywhere. "That's quite an investment lost. Gardeners going on vacation should create a chores checklist, and arrange for an interview and plant tour with prospective sitters well before departing. Timers can be great on hoses but be certain you have someone around who can keep an eye on them for you," said Robin Haglund, president of Garden Mentors Inc. Turn the lights off and on to make it look like somebody's home. "The job depends upon what they have in their yards and how long they'll be gone," said Caryn Sommersdorf, who operates Green Garden Sitters in Orlando, Fla. "A vegetable garden may should be checked every day. They also can save them money. It took them a while to produce again. " McKinnon suggested a few ways to find garden sitters: "Go online. Few plant minders are willing to do windows or the laundry. "Design a watering program. Group your container plants so they're easier to work with. Offer up the edibles when they ripen, and point out your favorite flowering plants to be sure they are not weeded out. in Seattle, who frequently is asked how to prep plants for trips. A flower garden, not so much. " Sommersdorf and partner Jennifer Richardson perform the typical seasonal gardening chores - weeding and watering, mowing and harvesting. "We'll also bring in the mail. We'll fertilize and prune and care for our clients' pets, too," she said. Keep your must-do list simple, though. "The job depends upon what they have in their yards and how long they'll be gone," said Caryn Sommersdorf, who operates Green Garden Sitters in Orlando, Fla. Sommersdorf and partner Jennifer Richardson perform the typical seasonal gardening chores - weeding and watering, mowing and harvesting. "We'll also bring in the mail. "Some of these crews come at odd hours and should be held accountable for what they do. "Some people hire maintenance services for their yards," he said. "I asked her to water the plants, but she didn't think about picking them, as well as the plants were a mess when I came home," she said. Keep your must-do list simple, though. |
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Garden sitters do the work while the homeowner's away
