Holiday-proofing your garden can help ensure that your plants thrive, and your garden remains in good shape while you are away for a week or two.

You can install an automatic watering system or set up drip irrigation to ensure your plants receive adequate water while you are away. Timers and soaker hoses are also useful options but there are lots of easy and inexpensive things you can do to prepare your garden for your summer holiday with these quick tips.

Deadhead

Deadhead spent flowers before you leave on holiday on plants like roses, cosmos, sweet peas, petunias, and pelargoniums. This will encourage new growth while you are away. Even if the growth looks good, it is worth trimming off the flowers so you arrive home to a gorgeous, fresh display, instead of flowers needing deadheaded.

Harvest Produce

Similarly, harvest ripe fruits, vegetables, and herbs from the garden before leaving. Not only will this prevent them from going to waste, but it will also encourage the production of new growth upon your return.

Weed Control

Remove any existing weeds before your holiday. Weeds compete with plants for water and nutrients, so eliminating them beforehand will give the garden a better chance to thrive.

Fertilise

Apply a slow-release fertiliser to garden beds before leaving to provide plants with nutrients over an extended period, ensuring they stay healthy during your absence.

Water Borders Well

Douse flower beds with a hose until the soil is soaking before you go away.

Mulch

Apply a layer of mulch around your plants to help reduce moisture evaporation in the soil, prevent weed growth, and keep the soil cool in hotter summer temperatures. Mulch after plants have had a good watering.

Take Down Hanging Baskets

They will dry out quickly so move them into the shade and sit in a trug or big bucket with a reservoir of water.

Container Care

The fastest thing to run out of water will be plants in containers so take extra precautions with their care.

• Group containers together in a shady spot to slow down moisture loss.
• Water pots thoroughly just before you leave with a full can of water each.
• Sit pots on saucers to create a small reserve of water for a few days.
• Pierce the lid of a 2 litre plastic bottle, fill with water, and place lid down in the pot’s compost to drip feed water to the plant.

Think Ahead

Choose drought-tolerant plants that can withstand hot and dry conditions. Native plants are often a good choice since they are adapted to the local climate and require less maintenance. Consider grouping plants with similar water needs together to simplify watering.