Urban Gardening By Proxy

Some people prefer gardening as a spectator sport. They like to sit and watch the results. Eat the results and even enjoy the compliments of a beautiful yard.

For those people, there is a service available in several cities where you can have a service come in, plant and maintain an organic garden for you. The description even says, the service will leave your freshly picked vegetables in a basket on your steps.

The cost varies starting at around $600 dollars for planting and then an additional weekly service charge for maintenance. You have all the advantages of organic gardening without the work.  Now this service isn't for everyone, but it does offer possibilities for those individuals with large yards to get fresh produce. 

The services in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Boston, D.C. and Portland, OR work like a modified co-op. People can become members and then each member gets a "share" of the harvest. This way you don't have bushels of tomatoes and zucchinis, but no corn or other vegetables.

It's part of a program called Community Sustained Agriculture. This is where members participate, by buying shares, of the produce raised in a certain garden or community.  It's a great way of getting fresh vegetables for your family while living in an urban area. The advantage of the organic services is many of the pesticide and salmonella scares are eliminated.

The installed gardens are raised bed gardens. It's figured one garden will feed one person with small vegetables where a couple will need 3 or more beds. This is another way of urban gardening without back pain and lots of great results.

All in a gardener's day,

Thanks to Springwise for the heads up and to  Karen Jones  for use of the photo.