How to prepare a garden for your summer holiday.

(From Western Daily Press)

You may have packed your suitcases and sorted out your flight tickets in preparation for your two-week summer holiday - but what about the garden? So many gardeners see all their work go to pot when they are away from home in the summer, as containers dry out, lawns go brown and many plants run to seed in their absence. However, there are ways to minimise the suffering your plants endure if you are away during a prolonged spell of warm, dry weather, so that you can return home to a garden which doesn't look like it's been in a full-scale drought.

Your first port of call is your neighbours and family. Ask if they can water your plants while you're away and harvest crops such as tomatoes and green beans before they go over, keeping what they want for themselves. Cluster your patio pots together in a sheltered, shady place that is open to the rain, feeding and watering them thoroughly just before leaving.