PREPARE A GARDEN FOR LONG ABSENCES

How do you prepare a garden with trees, bushes, roses and even perennials for long absences?

Regardless if you live in a cold or a warm climate you have to take some action before you leave your beloved garden. This is the most important ones:

Getting rid of so much weed that you can manage, cutting back overgrown shrubs and trees to protect weaker or slow-growing plants against the more rapidly growing shrubs is your main goal. This will help you to retain the shape and the main features in your garden. Obviously cutting hedges, shrubs, trees and lawns also are a part of this point.

Thoroughly weeding the asparagus before I mulch them generously with weed-free garden soil.

This is how it looks after the weed is removed with so many roots as possibl

Generously mulch around the plant with weed-free garden soil. The soil will suppress weed, add some nutrients and give some protection against cold and heat.

Granular slug and snail killer can be a cheap investment keeping your plant from getting eaten in your absence.

Make sure your garden is thoroughly watered before you leave. Then the plants are well prepared and have some extra water reserves to start with for your long absence.

Mulch with weed-free soil around the plant roots. Bark mulch is also a valid alternative.

Preventive treatment against slug damage, plant diseases, insects and gnawing damage from larger animals can be a good investment.

I put down newspaper or some thoroughly wet cardboard around some prickly plants, add mulch on top and the maintenance gets a lot easier.

Bark mulch around Acanthus, Yucca and Canna.

I splash the Hydrangea with bloodmeal to prevent the deer to eat too much of them.

This apple tree is gnawed at by deer and moose. On the picture, I have painted a deer repellent consisting of dried blood meal and water.

Situate your container plants in some free space in the ground or place all of them together in the shadow and ask a relative or a neighbour to frequently water them.