Return from vacation to find your plants thriving, not barely surviving. Create care instructions for your house sitters. Print a note for each plant (including watering guidelines). Then stick the instructions to wooden plant markers (or chopsticks). If you want to take the extra step of laminating, your notes -- and probably your plants -- will last a lot longer.
Plant-Care Markers
Martha Stewart Living, August 2010
Number the cards if the plants are in more than one room, then the caregiver will be sure to get them all. i didn't know my mom had plants in the laundry room, and i neglected them when she fell and broke her hip and was in the hospital and rehab for 2 months.