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GLT's Grow: Being An Absentee Gardener

Garden in sunshine.
Tejvan Pettinger
/
Flickr via Creative Commons
An absentee gardener can find success with the right plant selection and irrigation system.

The pull to garden is strong, even if the flesh is ... absent. If you plan on being an absentee gardener, there's a few things you need to know to find success.

  • No matter what plants you put in an irregularly visited garden, they'll need water. That's why a simple irrigation system will make the difference if you only see you garden a few times a month.
  • Patrick Murphy, host of GLT's Grow, recommends Mister Landscaper, an irrigation kit that is easy to assemble and programmable for those weeks you're away from your garden.
  • Pick your plants with an irrigation system in mind. Tomato, thyme and basil can be good choices for your garden. 
  • Try Lantana for a good flowering perennial. It tolerates dryness well.
  • Use interior foliage plants in outdoor pots. They're inexpensive and tolerate hot weather well.  Rubber plant and sansiveria are good choices. 
  • Don't forget to mulch. Mulch protects your plants from a variety of problems, like too many weeds or soil drying out to rapidly.

GLT's Grow is your source for sage gardening advice and down-to-earth tips. Host Patrick Murphy and co-host Laura Kennedy are ready to take on all your gardening questions, so submit yours today.

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Reporter, content producer and former All Things Considered host, Laura Kennedy is a native of the Midwest who occasionally affects an English accent just for the heck of it. Related to two U.S. presidents, Kennedy appalled her family by going into show business.