Advertise that you are offering a complete urban home garden technique training and site setup to give a family of 3 fresh vegetables for the season in an area of less than 50 square feet,with less than 3 hrs garden time needed weekly. included free: rodent deterrent and full instruction book and video for a one time cost of $150.

You purchase the following: four 12 ft long 1x6 untreated planks at not more than $5 each, a copy of square foot gardening $12 or so, the SFG video $16 and a roll of metal window screening for about $12 and 400 pounds of sterile postsoil, 80 pounds of composted manure a bale of peat moss and a bag of 20 pound bag of kitty litter (total about $20). Also a seed selection is invaluable ($5 at 10 for a dollar packs. You can use the packs on multiple jobs).

You build the 3 SFG form off site so the customer doesn't realize how easy it is. Go on site and turn the 12 x 4 foot area. Set out the raised bed frame over the rodent screen and add the soil and mix in amendments. Plant the seeds the customer chooses from your seed stock. Present them with the SFG book and video and offer them your follow up services if neccesary during their first season. The inital set up can be done in two to three hours.

I know this sounds crazy, but I have a friend from high school doing this in conjunction with his landscape business. His clientele is mostly city and "Pill Hill" rich folks who couldn't grow a chia pet, yet they want a weed free, easy to maintain fresh veggie garden with landscaped look.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002

Answers

The south has truly fallen!

-- An old timer (asoutherner@thesouth.com), April 21, 2002.

I'm impressed yet I will not digress. Those who will not work neither shall they eat. (out of my garden anyway)

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), April 21, 2002.

Cool, I've given a simular ready made garden "kit" as a gift, to a few friends. I just showed up with the frame, soil mix, plants, soaker hose, and mulch, [all home made from left over stuff] a couple hours work and they had a starter garden with half grown plants.

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002.

i agree with Joel!!!!

However I am glad somebody can make money on these skills. Make sure that they know that "follow up' help doesn't mean YOU are the one they expect to weed it!

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), April 22, 2002.

Jay my dear friend I knew it was you before I read the addie :) Jay our Garden Geek, we love you for your nerdiness! You go guy! LOL

Susan

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), April 22, 2002.

Poor Jay , garden geek !!!!!! Sorry I cannot stop laughing .I would truely like you as a friend and neighbor you seem like a great guy even with dirty finger nails .Sorry still laughing , your so funny Susan.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.

While I agree that gardening for someone else is pitiful, isn't the main idea behind this venture to train someone to do it on their own?

Seems that anyone WILLING TO PAY to learn will continue to garden over the years once they have tasted real live vegetables, i.e. freshly picked ones, not the cardboard store variety.

I'm sure all of us would be willing to help someone during their learning process, but if they want us to do some of the grunt labor for bucks---well, so be it.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeybaord.com), April 22, 2002.

At some time in your life, and for different things, you reach a point where you would rather pay than do. For some, it's housecleaning--me, I don't like the notion of strangers in my home, so that's out. For others, it's washing the car or gardening or doing the driving to and fro (when your health fails, not much choice if no public transportation, or relatives and friends), etc. As the population ages, we may even see doctors who make house calls again (for a fee of course, but if you need that type of service...).

Good for your friend, and please don't put down people who have the money for this sort of thing. Honest work is honest work--as long as the customer is happy with the level of service for the payment provided, it is a win-win situation for both.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 22, 2002.

The fact that it is the wealthier and time constrained sectors pursuing this is also what makes it a decent paying venture. I have set up three of these for my neighbors who can't dedicate the days labor to get supplies and build the beds, but do have the 30 minutes a day to weed and water. Next year they will be able to plant also. All three are very dependent on their microgardens as a stess relief of the careers they built that sustains their lifestyles. Two are trying to get the homeplace paid off to slow down for retirement and self sufficiency, sounds like most of us here on this board. The third person I helped is a doctor, who wants to close his in town office in favor of a home clinic and house calls on a limited patient base. So it is a way to teach our values to others. I recieved no pay for the three I helped...yet. But each will undoubtly bring some veggies by as they learn their new skills. Of course an extra $20 would come in handy too.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 22, 2002.

Jay, that sounds like a wonderful idea! The town I live in is absolutely FULL of the exact people you would need for this! They are all career-oriented, driven and will pay for just about anything.

You could even do different "themes". Perennial bed (strawberries, asparagus, etc.), herbs, salad garden, veggies for the grill, etc. I may have to broach this subject with my husband and maybe try it out!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), April 22, 2002.

You could also charge more for decorated frames if you offered them.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 22, 2002.

Seriously, lay off people with money (especialy the ones who earn it). I grew up in an area with tons of upper upper middle class families and they only have money because mom or dad or both happen to be good at a peofession that happens to pay a lot. Don't punnish them for that. If they want to pay you to do something like build them a garden then be grateful. What if your doctor told you that he only treated patients that made the efort to treat themselves. We all so different things for a living and have different lifestyles. You may grow other people's food (or provide them the means to grow their own in this case) and they may treat your illnesses. It seems like a faif trade to me.

-- Erika (misserika129@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.

Good idea! Long before Wall Street, the original purpose of money was a means of storing skilled labour. Bypassing Homebase and Walmart benefits all concerned.

-- Griff (Griff@hangnail.com), April 23, 2002.