Re: when leaving holiday home for period of time
Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 5:48 pm
Sandra wrote:I wish that I could switch off the water - but unfortunately I have a garden full of plants - and a watering system!! Someone told me that I could switch the water, to the main house, off by shutting off the stopcock in the downstairs bathroom, - and if I left the main stopcock to the house on (outside) then there was a bypass system to my watering system. Unfortunately, after doing this for a few times I realised that this was not the case!!
Hello Sandra,
We have a row of large Oleanders, a Lemon tree and a Yucca - so not much to worry about but they all flourish with no watering at all for months on end. We used to have a Bougainvillea which became so big it broke the gate posts and twisted the arch across the gate, breaking it off, in a heavy wind - It was hardly ever watered and it didn't stop growing or flourishing - We couldn't wait to get rid of it in the end, as beautiful as it was, as it was such hard work.
We don't even own a watering can, let alone a hose pipe and only throw a bit of water over the plants a couple of times a week when we are there, even in high Summer. We have fantastic lemons off the tree and one of our friends has had no luck with their Lemon tree and it is watered and bug sprayed regularly. I personally do not believe in using insecticides on plants as I think that nature takes its course (good insects eat bad insects and so on!)and a bit of washing up liquid in water thrown over a plant does no harm. Saying that, I am no gardener and I am impressed by a lovely well tended garden but I prefer the easy life while in Spain!
Jan.