Hello Friends,
Today I am sharing the article I wrote for the Cameron Chronicle, "The Little Paper With Personality."
The photo I share above was taken last autumn during an outing to one of our favorite apple orchards. I thought it looked like I was driving out on vacation with my boys and friend Ced.
Hee Hee!
Enjoy the article!
♥
Carla
How to Prepare the Garden When You Go on Vacation
By Carla TePaske of Cameron, WI ~ The Little Garden That Could
Going on Vacation? All of us gardeners need to have a summer holiday. At times that can feel very difficult to do because who will care for the garden? We love and care for our gardens. How will it survive with out us? I am happy to share, all it takes is a little planning and your garden will thrive. The exciting part is when you return you will get to enjoy all the new growth in the garden.
Here are a few tips on how to get the garden ready for vacation.
Enlist a friend, relative, or neighbor. There is nothing more reassuring than having a friend, relative, or neighbor keep an eye on the garden. Even non-gardeners can help. Give simple instructions. Have hoses, sprayers, and water cans easily accessible.
Other alternatives for keeping your plants watered are kiddie pools and plastic jugs.
Using a kiddie pool is perfect for bottom watering container plants. Put the pool in a shady spot and fill it with containers and an inch or so of water.
A plastic jug with a few holes in the cap, filled with water and placed upside down in the soil or your garden bed or in your plants container, will slowly deliver moisture. A milk jug or soda bottle is perfect for this.
Give all your plants a good drink before you leave.
Add mulch to your garden beds and pots to help retain moisture.
Hopefully these tips will help you prepare the garden for summer holiday, giving you peace of mind your garden will thrive.
Those are all good tips. I don't have close neighbours who I could depend on to water my garden and all my friends are getting old so I depend on mulch. I never go away for long. I feel staying at home a vacation if I chose to treat it as such.
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening and happy vacation.
Hugs,
Julia
I do use mulch but your kiddie pool idea is a great one! Thanks for sharing. Janice
ReplyDeleteCute picture!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. Love the photo you shared.
ReplyDeleteThis is really helpful. I bet most people don't even think about pereparing their gardens for their vacations.
ReplyDeleteThat little farm cut out is the cutest! Enjoy your weekend my friend!
ReplyDeleteI love your tips and that picture, Carla!!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for sharing these tips.
ReplyDeleteI do like the photograph you've shared :)
All the best Jan
More of your great gardening tips! I don't garden but TG has enjoyed your counsel in that area. However, he has had no luck this year with either tomatoes or peppers (he thinks it's too hot where they are planted), and his potatoes are the size of marbles. Haahaha we laugh about it. xoxo
ReplyDeleteYour post hit home for me, Carla, as I went on a trip and was wondering how my roses would do, so I watered them real good before I left. We are in a drought right now, so things aren't growing like they should here. These are great tips on what to do with the garden before you leave on a vacation. That is the cutest photo of the family at the apple orchard. Looks like you are all happy.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Great tips! I will have to try the upside down plastic jug idea.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if my garden survived our trip? I'll see soon!
ReplyDelete