Gardening from a Distance?

[MamaScout]

Hello all, this is my first time in the gardening forum!

I have been yearning for a vegetable garden for years, but am unable to have one in my own yard. I live on a relatively small downtown lot and while we have a beautiful yard, I have far too much shade (both in front and back) for a veggie patch. About the best I can do is a few potted herbs, and believe me I have tried! I am unwilling to cut down any trees, they are beautiful old cedars and oaks. Fantastic for shade and beauty, but impossible for a garden!

I have been offered a patch of land to set up a garden in a friend's yard. They have tons of space, lots of beautiful sunshine all day long, and they are on well water (unlike my expensive city water). The only caveat is that it is a five mile drive from my house. I know I'd have to drive out to do a few hours' work on it at least a few days a week. I have reliable transportation so that's not a problem. I'd probably have to set up some kind of irrigation system set up on a timer. But what if there's a problem and I'm not there every day to check on the garden? The friends are somewhat older so they can't be expected to do any hard gardening work. Frankly I wouldn't expect them to do anything at all.

What do you think? Good idea or bad? Anyone ever done this before?

[FarmerCathy]

Welcome!

You could treat it as a community garden I guess. I think that is how far it was for me when I had a community garden plot, though I'd ride my bike and it was farther each way riding at least. I only went every couple days and the garden was fine. I think its doable.

[CariOfOz]

I think it's a fab idea! I've got a couple of 1.2m square raised beds in my yard, but we rent so I"m reluctant to do more (that I'll just have to undo later!). I just recently found a community garden a couple of km's from me and am going to try to get a plot for more 'space intensive' veggies. I think that you'd be ok with going every 3 days except in the hottest part of summer, when some things MIGHT need extra water. Then maybe every other day?

[springmum]

I live in the city and have a rather large garden at my brother's farm -1.5 hrs away!!

We go once a week and I harvest & weed what I can in that time. My brother was kind enough to set up a sprinkler in the beginning and watered it every evening for us. He hasn't had to touch it (other than to help himself to whatever veggies he wants) and I haven't asked him to do anything to it. It's worked out well, since my DS loves the farm and it's great to get out of the city - plus I can stop at a Mennonite farm and get some fresh eggs on the way!

So I think it's a great idea for you! Some things that made it easier was planting things that weren't really delicate or needy - like tomatoes etc.
I think I will mulch next year to help with weeding time. I also keep all my garden gear in their shed.

Seeing how much I've been able to harvest has totally made the long drive worth it - do I wish I had something closer, of course, but it's worked well.
Good luck and happy gardening