Just curious how others handle this. When you go on vacation for a few days plus, who do you have water your plants outside? From what I'm hearing, it's a real scorcher almost everywhere nationwide (especially southwest) and flowers won't make it if someone isn't watering. We are kind of new to our community and I could ask the neighbor, but feel like I am burdening him.

Can you put planters of flowers sitting in a small pool of water? Will that work?

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

Personally I would ask a neighbor - or someone on your block who you see outside tending to their plants. AND I would bring them a small token from the trip. Or ask a neighborhood teen - for a small fee.

My reasoning is that people do actually care about their neighbors' yards. A house a couple doors down was in the process of being foreclosed on. When the grass got to be a foot high , I sent my son over to cut the grass in the front yard (an easy job, otherwise I may not have been so eager to help). A couple weeks later when the grass was getting really brown I noticed the sprinklers were on. A couple days later I discovered that someone down the street was manually turning on the sprinklers for a few minutes every few days. He cares. Unfortunately it doesn't seem that the bank that currently owns the house cares. But we do; so as long as the bank pays the water bill, we'll (the neighborhood - I've seen others picking up blown trash, pulling a dandelion, etc) keep the front acceptable.

I dunno, I don't think a few minutes a day for a neighbor is ever a burden.

Pat

edited to add, I don't know why you couldn't put a small pool of water under some planters. That's a similar concept to self-watering pots.

My neighbor waters them. Prior to becoming friendly with my neighbor, I would take my outdoor container plants and bring them inside while I was away. I would make sure I water my beds very well prior to leaving.

I know you can make self watering containers. They also sell things that will water plants while you are gone: Container Gardening * Indoor Gardening * Flower Gardening * Deep Root Watering for Container Gardening

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Set all the plants in pots, in the bathtub. Close the drain and put water up to about 1 inch . They will self water. Outside plants I don't know about.

Usually I just ask my next door neighbor, since he waters my plants most of the time even when I'm home....I don't know why he does....I think he's bored and wants to stay outside as long as possible (lives with his daughter and her young children) I would look for someone in you neighborhood who has plants and flowers that are doing well, and if you know them well enough ask them.....If you have older children who have responsible friends you might be able to offer them a watering "job". HTH

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

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