how do you keep your plants watered when on holiday?

[leonardodavinci]

have just thought that if it's going to be a hot summer and you have hanging baskets, beds of summer bedding etc, how on earth do you keep them going over the summer. After 2 weeks without water ours would die surely. A kindly neighbour might do the odd watering a hanging basket but a half our hosepipe session a few times a week is surely a lot to ask. What does everyone do with their plants?

put houseplants in the bath with the plug in and a couple of inches of water, and upturned plastic bottles with the bottoms cut off filled with water placed around the flower beds, followed by a lot of tlc when we get home (oh and pray for rain)!!!

Soak the bedding plants really well and then mulch thoroughly with at least an inch of bark chippings or similar material - preferably 2-3" deep if you can. If possible ask a neighbour to water mid week and at the weekend.

Hanging baskets I use water absorbing gel but that is best mixed in when you first plant up the baskets - that way if I water them really well the night before they go they will last for at least a week (and in this country it rarely goes longer than a week without at least one shower!) You might be able to mix some in now if the basket isn't too full to get at the soil.
If they are in full sun it might be best to take them down and place them somewhere more shaded.

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