We think of our house plants as valued members of the household. In fact right now there are about 12 in our small apartment, ranging from a rescued ficus to a mother-in-law's tongue that's about to break out of its pot. We keep that one around for the name alone.
Once a week or so these plants get their dousing, which is usually enough if it's not been too sunny. But when we go away it's another story. We rarely have the forethought to arrrange for a friend to come water them, and as a result we practically drown them in water before we leave and hope for the best outcome. Occasionally we get it.
Next time we're going to try water bulbs.
You saturate the terra cotta cones of these gizmos with water, fill them up and then stick them into the soil of your potted plants--indoors or out. Your plant then takes over, wicking what it needs into its roots. The globes are PVC heat-resistant, presumably to keep the water from evaporating before your plant drinks up.
You Grow Girl has instructions on how to DIY:
http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/dripsystem.php
Not as attractive, but very very cheap.
if they do indeed work well, these are brilliant! i was just wondering what to do about our flower beds if we're not home. i was going to try to run a drip through some drainage holes, but these just might be an easier solution. thanks for passing the water bulbs along!