Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don has shared essential advice for preparing gardens before heading off on holiday, ensuring they remain in good condition despite the ongoing heatwave and widespread hosepipe bans.
Prepare Your Garden Before You Go
Writing on his blog, Monty outlined precisely what people needed to do to ensure their garden remained in excellent condition while they were away. He said: "If you do get away prepare the garden so that it will still look good when you get back - especially if it will be left for two weeks."
He advised: "Mow the lawn, weed, and make sure plants are well supported. Pots are most likely to suffer in hot weather and an irrigation system is ideal, but at very least give them a good soak before you go. Ideally move smaller pots into the shade and group them together which will reduce evaporation."
Enlist Help for Harvests
Monty also suggested: "If you have sweet peas or vegetables ready to harvest ask friends or neighbours to come and pick them."
The UK has been experiencing a seemingly endless heatwave for a substantial portion of the summer, leaving gardens parched and grass, plants, trees and flowers already appearing less than ideal. With many Britons flying off for a fortnight in the sunshine, a period of neglect could mean a disheartening sight on return.
Hosepipe Bans Across the UK
To compound matters, millions of UK households are facing hosepipe bans as water companies attempt to preserve supplies. From 8 August, South West Water imposed a ban on 1.8 million households, including those in Devon, Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Somerset. This comes in addition to the ban already implemented in Mid and East Devon.
Areas supplied by Affinity Water, including Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, and parts of London and Essex, are already under a ban. Anglian Water has introduced one across the entire region it serves, alongside everywhere covered by Cambridge Water. In Wales, Mid and South Ceredigion, North Pembrokeshire, and North Carmarthenshire are subject to a ban by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.
Essex and Suffolk Water has also introduced a ban across its entire area, while South East Water has imposed one in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. Southern Water has introduced a ban in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, while Thames Water has imposed a ban on the whole area it covers, including Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire.
