Holiday Proof Your Garden
Heading away? You've organised the pets, diverted the mail, organised remote home security even...but what about your garden? Plan your departure in a garden friendly manner and you might even find your place looking better when you get home than when you left!
There are a few key ingredients to making your garden flourish in your absence. Check out these '5 to thrive'.
- Water well before you go. The night before you're ready to leave, go out into the garden and give everything a long soak. Put the sprinklers on the lawn, water your hanging baskets and pots and give garden beds a good drink.
- After you finished watering, apply Yates Drought Shield to any of your vulnerable plants...such as pot plants, hydrangeas or newly planted seedlings. This acts as a sun block or anti-transpirant and will help your plants survive extreme heat for up to 90 days.
- Move any exposed pot plants into a sheltered position and group them together. You can even place them inside polystyrene boxes to give them some insulation - just don't put the lid on them!! Place indoor plants on a wet towel in the bath or laundry tub. Give them a good drink and then leave the tap dripping ever so slowly so that they stay humid and moist.
- Cut back and flowers that are nearing the end of their flush. When you return, they probably will have rebudded and the bunch of blooms you pick you can give to your neighbours as a thank you for keeping an eye on your home while you're away. Trim your lawn and when you come back see how green it is.
- When you return, give everything a good long soak again and gradually return plants into their normal positions, rather than shock them. Give everything a 'spa treatment' of some hose on Seasol as a welcome home present.
By: Meredith Kirton
