Tending Vegetable Gardens for Vacationers

Lots of people's summer vacations coincide with high-yield times in their vegetable gardens. Which equates to free fresh veggies for those lucky souls who tend their gardens while they're gone...

We know this August we will be looking after one family member's home and garden in their absence and have already been invited to help ourselves to the fresh veggies while we're at it. Anyone else out there reaping this reward of staying in town while others are on vacation? Or if the one vacationing, do you have someone lined up to tend to your garden while you're gone?

Image: Look: Fresh Veggies with Resolution Gardens!

Comments (5)

i work long (5 day) shifts out-of-town all summer long. My garden is on a friend's property, and she waters it while i am away.
The deal? Whatever is ripe, minus the root crops, when i'm not there is hers. It keeps us both happy :)

posted by brighteyes on July 6th 2009 at 3:25pm
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My friends are away on vacation in Canada and here in Atlanta their tomatoes are looking fine and delish and the herbs and peppers are ripe for the picking! Our deal was the same. To help myself to whatever I wanted while they were away. And I made some killer pesto yesterday! Everyone wins - even my husband.

posted by Lady K on July 6th 2009 at 3:55pm
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The carrots in that picture are enormous, and would have taken a lot of patience to grow. I would be a little upset if someone watching my garden for the weekend dug up all my carrots.

posted by HillE on July 6th 2009 at 4:54pm
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Last year I took care of my neighbor's garden while they were away. It was right when their tomatoes and zucchini were ripening, so I knew those things had to be picked. I made sauce (to freeze) and pickled zucchini so they could still enjoy those veggies when they got back. There was no way I could have eaten all of it myself anyway.

posted by ziacd on July 9th 2009 at 8:27am
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Funny you should mention that. I just returned from 10 days away from my garden and though the folks who watched my place swore they couldn't wait to get their hands on fresh broccoli and peas, they didn't touch them. Everything went to seed, which is a bummer. I WISH I had someone who gets gardening to look after the place.

posted by violet222 on July 14th 2009 at 4:52pm
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