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Gardens for People Who Hate Gardening

 
Posted by Justine BurtApprentice Wednesday, April 08 2009 9 comments

MichaelJossGardening.jpg

Several years ago, my friends Michael and Suzanne Joss ripped out most of the lawn around their home in the suburbs of San Francisco and planted vegetables. On only 1/10 of an acre, they now grow about half of their own food. Amazingly, since they switched from grass to vegetables their water use has fallen by 30%.

The Josses have received so many requests for organic gardening tips that Michael decided to start his own backyard organic vegetable gardening service called Backyard Farm. For a weekly subscription fee but no upfront installation cost, he will:

  • Build raised garden beds
  • Plant seedlings and succession plantings (grown from heirloom and non-genetically modified organism seeds)
  • Set up and maintain the drip irrigation system
  • Weed
  • Maintain healthy soil (which keeps pests at bay)

Are you too busy to garden but like the idea of picking fresh, organic lettuce, carrots, snap peas, onions and potatoes from your garden? Would you consider a vegetable gardening service like this?

Tags:

Food Production and Distribution food

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Comments

  • Elizah_leigh_head_shot_august_2009

    Elizah LeighUser517_level said on April 09, 2009

    This business idea certainly caters to people who can afford to pay someone else to take care of the not-so-easy tasks in their life. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, though. If I had any disposable income, I'd be very tempted to enlist the services of a surrogate gardener because working the land is really time-consuming and messy! Last year, I figured out that for the investment of time and money that I put into my hopelessly lackluster garden, my land should have offered me a refund with interest. In spite of that, I do feel that you benefit tremendously by gardening with your own two hands. You wouldn't pawn off one of Wolfgang Puck's pre-packaged frozen meals as your own (or would you?!?), which is kinda-sorta what you'd be doing if you bought the services of Backyard Farm (hmmm, maybe that's not the greatest analogy). DIY! DIY!!

    • Michael JossApprentice said on April 09, 2009


      Hi Elizah
      "..In spite of that, I do feel that you benefit tremendously by gardening with your own two hands." No doubt about it and I encourage folks to take over the garden after we give them a head start. Equally important is the quality of the food you get from plant to plate....no Wholefoods store beats that.
      • Elizah_leigh_head_shot_august_2009

        Elizah LeighUser517_level said on April 24, 2009

        I'm sorry I missed your comment until now. I hope that I made my perspective clear before, but if not, I think you're providing a valuable service. Nothing can compare to fresh, organically-grown veggies. I think it's nice that those of us who are daunted by the idea of starting a garden of our own but still WANT ONE now have an option, one that will offer piece of mind (no fear of food-born illness) and a window to local sustainability. I hope that your business thrives!
  • Friend_small

    Susan DeeApprentice said on April 23, 2009

    Very interesting. I'm posting this as a kind of mea culpa. We read Pollan and talk about gardening but rarely do it. I really wish I knew why. By the time I deal with the hot sun, the biting mosquitos, etc etc it doesn't seem worth it (I know it is). My husband got ambitious one summer and together we did pretty well; but all other years were ans are hopeless. Now we've moved from Southern Calif to Iowa and it is worse (more heat, more bugs, more wind). Last year I planted 5-6 things to eat and none of them made it. None of them. It really was quite isolating and depressing. Now Spring is here and I feel terribly torn. Do I want to suit up?!
  • Friend_small

    Susan DeeApprentice said on April 23, 2009

    p.s. For penance, we shop at the farmer's markets and buy a lot of very local organic stuff.
  • Img_6119

    Meena KapurUser70_level said on April 24, 2009

    What an interesting idea! I find that growing vegetables and fruit is easier than you think! I've been adding fruit plants and vegetables to our garden slowly over the last 4 years. My kids are growing tomatoes and we recently planted a fig tree and guava tree. That is in addition to our apple, persimmon trees and 2 blueberry bushes. Its so nice to step in our backyard and collect our own organic food! I would start slowly and keep increasing over the seasons. Good luck.
  • Mttamphoto

    Justine BurtApprentice said on May 07, 2009

    I've learned over the past few years that tomatoes, herbs, and lettuce are Vegetables 101 and some, like pumpkins and corn, are Vegetables 401. When I get ambitious and try to plant the more complicated vegetables that need pollination, I'm stumped. I need to take a Master Gardener class so I can help my vegetables succeed. I'm still stuck at Vegetables 101.
  • Img_6156

    jen wApprentice said on May 07, 2009

    I would LOVE a service like that!!!! The challenge I am faced with is outsmarting wild rabbits and Labrador Retrievers! Between my own two dogs with a voracious appetite for....for.....for....EVERYTHING and the adorable tan bunnies that devour fruit plants, veggies and yellow flowers, I find myself staring at the place where the garden SHOULD be, but doing nothing to start the process because it has been an exhausting battle. I need the services of a professional. A licensed gardentherapist.
  • Friend_small

    Michelle NguyenApprentice said on July 09, 2009

    The idea behind the business is genuinely inspiring and beneficial for everyone who would love to reap the benefits of gardening, but may be lost or unable to actually perform the gardening tasks on their own! It seems as though Michael and Suzanna Joss enjoy gardening as a hobby and I think it's awesome that they are able to turn their hobby into a career that gives them joy in performing the service and at the same time, also spreads the joy to their clients!

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