How to keep your garden looking great when you go on holiday.

Whether you’re planning a local staycation or heading further afield, going away for two-weeks when your plants are in full bloom, can fill the heart of most gardeners with dread.

 But sometimes our plants, pots and lawns can benefit from a holiday just as much as us. So don’t let your summer break be stressful, follow our simple tips to help keep your green space looking great even when you’re not there.

1.     Before you go

 Always make sure you give your garden a good health check before you go away. Weed borders, cut, edge, and repair the lawn, as well as top up the pond. When it comes to plants and pots give everything a good feed, deadhead spent flowers and trim back any unruly stems. This will ensure your garden will still be looking great even when you get home.

2.     Move into the shade

 Move your hanging baskets, window boxes and containers from their usual sunny spot into the shade so they dry out less quickly. If they cannot be moved cover them with shade netting or fleece. Also, group them close to create localised humidity, this traps the moisture around the plants, helping them to keep their temperatures constant.

3.     Give everything a soak

If you are only going on a short break, giving everything a deep soak before you go should help your garden take care of itself, but If you are planning to be away for a couple of weeks or more, adding water-retaining gel crystals to containers or investing in and setting up an automated watering system may be worthwhile for a larger garden.

4.     Add a layer of mulch

 Although spring is usually the best time of year to put down a layer of organic matter, it’s worth giving it a top up before you go on holiday too. With moisture constantly being lost from beds and borders you can slow that process down by spreading thick mulch over any exposed soil, also natural mulches such as chipped bark, will also add extra nutrients to the soil as they break down.

5.     Ask for help

The easiest option of all is to ask someone you trust to help keep an eye on your garden while you are on holiday. Bear in mind at the height of summer some outdoor pots and hanging baskets may need to be watered more than once a day, so best to ask a fellow plant loving friend, relative or neighbour that lives close by to lend a hand.

Whatever you need to look after your garden while you’re away; from compost to grass seed, from watering equipment to mulch, at Aigburth Hall Nurseries we have it all.

 Find out more about opening times, home delivery and how to find us.