Welp, looks like we may need to make lemonade out of lemons and relocate for the winter. Since I became an over-zealous plant parent this year, I need someone to water them while we're away. Ideas?
Ha! We might do this too. The last thing we want is to be stuck indoors for the entire winter, especially with the kids out of school...
How often do your plants need watering? I've been down this road before, when we relocated to Austin for a year. It's a tradeoff between trust & cost:
1) We have a housecleaner and he was happy to water the plants. I liked having someone swing by occasionally while we were away. Sometimes pipes break, etc. 2) A full on house sitter. This is expensive. 3) Hire someone to take charge of the house. We did this several years ago during our year in Texas. We paid by the hour and it wasn't cheap, mostly because we had to retain for a minimum number of hours. 4) Friend/family/neighbor. It's a big ask, though. Maybe consider donating to charity as a way to give back.
My mom has her hanging baskets stored at a nursery during the winter months. Have you considered trying some of the local nurseries to see if they do this? It might be helpful.
Maybe ask the building who does the planters? Or a neighboring building? Those landscape services may have a service plan. Depending on the plant type, you may also only need someone every 3-4 weeks so it shouldn't be too pricey. A neighbor?? GOOD LUCK!