I snapped a quick shot of the garden off the deck as I was running around before I left. |
I was off on my annual summer sailing trip (it was highly successful and full of great sailing, warm Lake Michigan water and lots of sun), but one of the posts I had planned for you while I was gone was about preparing to leave your garden for a week or more. It’s scary to do, especially at this time of year when everything is growing so much, but after doing it every year, I’ve developed a few strategies.
This was the topic of an article I wrote for the Troy-Bilt e-newsletter “The Dirt.” We always have someone stay at the house to take care of the animals and the containers, so I’m fortunate that I don’t have to worry much about container watering.
I love a bouquet of sweet peas and sometimes the smaller they are, the more charming. |
Even though I was running around like crazy before I left (this is my natural state of being before I go anywhere; I am always running around like crazy), one of the last things I did was make several big bouquets for the house. Sure they are a nice treat for the housesitter, but I have a much more selfish for cutting every flower I can: There will be more for me later. Flowers keep producing when they are deadheaded, but lots of spend blooms go undeadheaded when you’re gone. By cutting all the flowers I can I get a head start on the deadheading. Sure the garden lacks some color while I’m gone, but who cares? I’m gone!
The ‘David Howard’ dahlias were going nuts when I left so I cut everyone I could find. |
I also made sure to fertilize all of the containers (I don’t ask the housesitter to fertilize, just water) and water them really, really well. And the last thing I did was run around (in the dark, for the most part) with the deer spray.
Only one ‘Crichton Honey’ dahlia was blooming when I left but I cut that too. I can’t get over the gorgeous color on this one. |
I don’t have a lot coming out of the veggie garden yet, but if I did I would have made sure to harvest any ripe vegetables so the plants keep producing.
So how did the garden fare while I was gone for 10 days? I’ll show you the “after” tomorrow.
4 Responses
Your dahlias are stunning!! I have major garden envy. 🙂 My post about the 2017 Fling is up with dates! I hope to see you there.
I loved following along on your trip via Facebook and Instagram! That last photo is gorgeous!
I bet the garden was about a foot higher when you got home after all the rain we had in the last week!
What a great photo. Beautiful! Good advise about cutting off all blooms before leaving for vacation.
That shot from the boat is amazing. Sounds like a great trip.