Maintaining a garden while you're away

If you're taking the kids away on school holidays, chances are your garden landscape is going to be left to the natural elements. Some careful planning can ensure your garden doesn't suffer while you're away.

1. General garden maintenance preparations

Make sure your garden landscape is in the best condition to survive your absence. Ensure your plants have received plenty of water in the days and weeks leading up to your departure, put mulch and organic matter down where necessary, and place your pot plants in a partially shady spot.

2. Water supply in your absence

In dry conditions, your garden can die off very quickly if it doesn't receive any water. Arrange for someone to come and water on designated days (unless it rains) and work out priority zones that must be watered, such as vegetable patches and pot plants.

3. The old garden water bottle trick

Fill a soft drink bottle with water, drill a tiny hole in the lid and up-end it right next to your most vulnerable plants, with the narrow end wedged in the soil. The water will gradually trickle out and seep into the soil while you're away.

4. Pick your fruit

When ripe fruit falls to the ground it looks ugly and breeds fruit flies, which will threaten the rest of your fruit. So before you go away, pick any fruit that looks ripe, and even almost-ripe fruit that will reach its peak while you're away.

5. Outdoor area security precautions

Lock away any items that normally lie around outside and that could be used by thieves to break into your home, such as garden tools and ladders. If you're going away for an extended period, get someone to mow your lawn and keep the place tidy, so it continues to look lived in.