DET-E01-S3 DET
Don’t forget thegardenevenif you arejettingaway onabreak
YOU may havepacked your suitcases and sorted out your flight tickets in preparation for your two-week summer holiday but what about the garden? So many gardeners see all
theirworkgo topotwhen they are away from home in the summer,as containers dry out, lawns go brown and many plants run to seed. However, there are ways to minimise the suffering your plants endure if you are away during a prolonged spell of warm, dry weather, so that you can return home to a garden which doesn’t look like it’s been in a full-scale d ro u gh t . Your first port of call is
your neighbours and family. Askif they can wateryour plants while you’re away and harvest crops such astoma- toes and green beans before they go over, keeping what they want for themselves. Cluster your patio pots to-
gether in a sheltered, shady place that is open to the rain, feeding and watering them thoroughly just before leav- ing. Having them close to- gether will make watering easier, if you have someone to
lawn. You can choose to leave it long, to conservemoisture and protect the roots. Don’t feed it to encourage it to grow fast while you’re away. If it has gone the colour of
straw on your return, don’t worry because itwill pick up again in autumn when the rain comes. Well-established plants in
borders shouldn’tsuffer too much, as theirroots will be deep enough tofind some moisture in the soil. Fruit shouldn’t suffer if
do it foryou,and will help conservemoisture if you don’t. If you don’t have anyone to
water your containers, take down hanging baskets and sit them directly into a depres- sion in the soil surfacein a cool, shadyspot and drench them with water so the soil underneath is also wet. Use an upturned bottle full
of water set into the contain- er, which should release the water as the soil dries. Alternatively, invest in
some strips of capillary mat- ting tucked into the compost at one end and a bucket of water at the other, which should provide enough mois- turefor the fortnightyou’re aw ay. Before you go, remove all
the blooms from your con- tainers, not just the faded ones. This should conserve the plants’energy and hope- fully will mean that new blooms will have emerged by the time you return home. Don’t worry about your
yo u ’re away inAugust, as soft fruit will have been picked before you go and apples and pears won’t be ready for har- vesting until autumn. Give veg a really good soak-
ing before you go, pick as much as you can just before you leave, blanching and freezing what you can’t use, or give it to a kindly neigh- bour who mayreturn the fa- vour with a bit of watering in your absence. If you do rely on your
friends and neighbours to do the watering for youwhile yo u ’re away, make sure you bring them back a present and always offer to return the favour.
Ask neighbours if they can water your plants while you’re away and harvest crops such as tomatoes and green beans before they go over, keeping what they want for themselves.
DERBY TELEGRAPH THURSDAY JULY 28 2011 PROPERTY 29
SEPTEMBER AUCTION SPECIAL Fees From £899 +VAT Inc Entry Fee NO SALE -NOFEE
Call foryou FREE
Auction appraisal Simon Gillibrand ©NM Lynne Jones
Call Simon or Lynne on 01332 542298
www.bagshawsauctions.co.uk
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