Help your garden glow while you’re on holiday

We will be heading off to Spain this summer and already I’m planning for how the garden will get by in my absence.

I’ve learnt the hard way that trying to set up a tricky irrigation system the night before leaving is not the best way to guarantee your plants will still be alive when you return, nor is crossing your fingers and hoping for a damp summer.

Now I’m much more prepared and already I’ve begun taking steps to nurture my plants while I’m gone.

Over the last week I’ve been moving plants from containers into the ground, squeezing them in wherever there’s a space, watering them thoroughly then spreading a thick layer of leaf mould around them to hold in the moisture. During a drought plants do much better in soil than pots, where, once they run out of water, the roots can’t find more.

Things that will stay in containers are being moved to even larger ones, as again these hold moisture more effectively, and I’ve topped them off with a layer of pebbles to reduce evaporation.

None of this is permanent. Everything will be dug up and returned to its original spot once I’m back, but while I’m away I can be confident that they should be flourishing.

In the vegetable garden you may be able to persuade a friend to take over watering duties, but if you are relying on an irrigation system test it thoroughly before you leave. Setting the timer can by fiddly and it is easy to get wrong.

Where water pressure is strong, invest in good quality hose fittings otherwise the connector may pop off, sending water flooding in the wrong direction as happened in my garden a few days ago.

Let’s just say that just about everything got a good soaking.

Irrigation can be very effective in the greenhouse, but you may also want to invest in automatic vents that will open on hot days. You could risk leaving the door open, but if a breeze blows in then all the glass may blow out, which will do nothing for your tomatoes.

One of the best ways to persuade a neighbour to help out in your absence is to offer them picking rights on anything that ripens. The promise of fresh lettuce, peas straight from the pod, and a daily bunch of sweet peas may tempt them to hop the fence with a watering can.

They might be less enthusiastic about weeding so tackle this before you go, being ruthless about even the smallest seedlings. Also, mow the grass the night before you leave otherwise you might have to scythe your way to the front door when you return.

It’s also worth cutting down all your perennials. It may seem like a drastic step but in your absence new foliage will spring up and flowering will be delayed until you return, so you can go on holiday happy in the knowledge that you won’t miss out on your favourite flowers.