# What do you do about your garden?



## bazzeruk (Sep 11, 2010)

There are lots of people here who seem to go away for weeks on end and good for them, BUT what do you do about the garden? Are you all wealthy enough to employ gardeners??

Similarly, I assume you don't have pets such as pond fish or cats.

Is that because to be a true motorhomer, that is your only hobby?


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

We usually go away for long periods during winter so the garden needs nowt doing to it. As for animals, friends come over on a regular basis to check on the sheep and feed the cats.
Simples! :lol:


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## lifestyle (Apr 27, 2008)

We normally have 2 x 3 months per year.Over the last 4/5 years we have put a membrane down in the boarders with slate on top and now just have flowering shrubs as well as the lawn which we get our sons to mow .

Les


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## satco (Jan 21, 2012)

I usually cut the lawn before leaving , and allow the rest of the garden unruled growing  

Jan


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I get my next door neighbour to cut the grass. I usually email him from Provence or somewhere to remind the lazy sod to get on with it. 

He also sorts the mail and wards of debt collectors etc.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

it's been a problem for us, but not insurmountable :roll: . This time of year is worst because everything grows so damned quick! We went away for all of March and the start of April, and were expecting to find the grass up to our waists when we got back but it was so cold it hadn't changed much at all! We have tried to plant stuff that doesn't need much maintenance, and don't do veg anymore, but retain a few strawberries and the rhubarb (nice now!). As we plan to spend longer away we'll try to do more labour saving stuff, but it wouldn't be the same without our garden when we come back from a trip away  I have a couple of clients who do gardening, so may be able to get some favours there for routine lawn mowing etc when we get away longer.......


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

we have Koi and they can happily go several weeks without food

having said that although our pond has filters UV etc it's still pretty natural so they can feed on wildlife

The garden is good quality artificial lawn, pots back and front are on automatic watering as is the greenhouse

Our garden is important to us, we clip hedges , ivy before and after trips

But we just take two 8 week trips a year

it's long enough for me
Shorter ones I between

Aldra


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Our gardens are a mix of block paving, slabs and gravel with shrub borders and is totally low maintenance, with just one exception of one small strip of lawn at the front that our neighbour looks after while we are away.

It was done like this on purpose when we took early retirement specifically because of our motorhoming lifestyle, we were away about 6 months in total last year and have just returned from a 3 month stint with another long trip planned later on this year.

In our previous house when we were both working it was a nightmare catching up with all the mowing and weeding after even a few weeks holidays so it was a no brainer for us to make this one as low maintenance as possible.



Pete


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## georgiemac (Oct 22, 2007)

off for a couple of months on Thursday - got a friend who has just set up a little gardening round- post - retirement and he is going to come and tend to the garden - weeding and mowing- he only charges about a £10 which to me is well worth it to save coming home to knee high weeds .


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## dillon (Oct 3, 2008)

We have a lady gardener who does ours every two weeks she does all the borders cuts the lawn and tidies the edges trims all the bushes she does a brilliant job.
I have a front and side garden and she charges £20.00 well worth it to me as I do not have worry about doing it.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Hey. Ive just thought of a new business idea. While you are away I will come and look after your houses and gardens in my motorhome. (for a small fee, plus use of your EHU).

We could make sure all your stuff is safe and stock up your fridge (when its empty) for your return.

Whadaya reckon huh?


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Barry you could come and live in my house

No need for a motorhome

Gardens easy, fish a few pellets daily

Sparrows a bit more work they devour the bird seed

Ok how much are you charging you are on

Plus you are next to bury market and all those lovely cheeses

Stuff the house And garden

Come and have a little holiday you and Michelle

Better still if we're home

Sandra


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

barryd said:


> Hey. Ive just thought of a new business idea. While you are away I will come and look after your houses and gardens in my motorhome. (for a small fee, plus use of your EHU).
> 
> We could make sure all your stuff is safe and stock up your fridge (when its empty) for your return.
> 
> Whadaya reckon huh?


Yep, I only have a field to mow but my wifes lawn needs manicuring twice a week and watering and deadheading 100+ pots daily.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

she wouldn't let anyone near her pots Ray

Quite right she is a special gardener  

sandra


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## makems (Jul 26, 2010)

Last year I dug up all the grass, got rid of all the hanging baskets and the plants in pots and tubs.
Replaced with random riven limestone patios, railway sleepers and gravel with shrubs which need no looking after at all.
This year I'm going to do the front garden in the same fashion.
Only maintenance I've had this year so far is to pay someone to repair a fence which had blown down while we were away.


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## Jodi1 (Mar 25, 2010)

We spend from March until at least the end of October either in the motorhome or at the static in Suffolk, with only a few weeks between trips at home. I've got fed up of madly tending to the garden and have made it as easy to as possible. If its particularly dry, one of the neighbours will water the pots, no grass, we got rid of it all because the dogs would come in covered in mud after playing out there, so now it's gravelled or woodchipped especially the borders that are accessible to dogs. Luckily it is only a small garden and on a steep slope which is now tiered with dry stone walls with easy to manage borders and patio areas.


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## MeFeinMcCabe (Mar 28, 2009)

Garden is a mess, try and do bits and pieces on an evening but as the weather improves so will weekends away so the grass will be getting longer. I see it as doing my bit for biodiversity


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## jncrowe (Feb 14, 2009)

I lookafter my neighbours youngest lad whilst she takes the older lad to cubs,swimming,after school stuff etc
Coincidentally I have just got back from her house and have asked her to check and feed our fish every other day or so and check the mail isnt piling up Which she happily agreed to do (bless her)as we are off to scotland soon
When they go away in their c*****n I keep an eye on their house and mail etc
We almost never clash cos they go away school holidays and we try not to 
Perfect .....
Cath


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## McGeemobile (Jun 10, 2010)

We're really lucky to have fantasic neighbours on 3 sides who will cut the lawn. They also use our little tractor mower and lawn mower for their own use.
We have a wide patio area around the house with a border for shrubs and flowers. Last year when we came back from a long trip I spent weeks trying to weed it so we covered it with bark. When we got back in April from a 7 month trip it was easy to deal with. 
We'll see if it works so well after the summer!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

aldra said:


> Barry you could come and live in my house
> 
> No need for a motorhome
> 
> ...


Hows that for a reference folks. Someone who has actually met me as well!!

Free to you Sandra! Just leave the keys to the wine cellar. So I can look after it!


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## chiefwigwam (Jan 23, 2013)

Cut it when I get back


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

We have 2 allotments , a rear garden and large greenhouse with tomatoes growing.
For the allotments we have gone into shares with our neighbour so he maintains that when away but everyone in the allotment will help with the picking!!!!
For the greenhouse we have set up a Hoselock self watering system which comes on twice a day and is very successful. Again our neighbour helps out and our other neighbour will hopefully cut our side of the hedge when he cuts his.
Its a standing joke that everything is planted out but we are not here to taste it ha ha.
Chris


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## dovtrams (Aug 18, 2009)

A friend does our and we share the produce from both the garden and the green house. Everybody benefits.

Dave


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

aldra said:


> she wouldn't let anyone near her pots Ray
> 
> Quite right she is a special gardener
> 
> sandra


My answer would be to concrete the lot and put plastic shrubs in pots dotted about Sandra..................... seemples and no one would ever know.

Ray.


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## Hawcara (Jun 1, 2009)

Barry, in the back of the CC mag, there is usually an advert for people to 'guard' property whilst the owner is away and live in their own motorhome/caravan for the duration. Got the impression you were paid as well!


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

Well, we are amongst those who don't go away for weeks on end because of the garden and the cats. If John had to make the choice between gardening and motorhoming the garden would definitely win. He doesn't just want a garden to sit in, which I'd be happy with, but enjoys working in it. So, no low maintenance garden for us. We have a very small 'lawn' but the rest is a mixture of trees, including fruit trees, shrubs, soft fruit, and lots of herbaceous flowers. We also grow a certain amount of vegetables, especially runner beans, which I love.

In April we had three weeks in France and this was preceded by John planting up seeds in the greenhouse, but then worrying about them needing not only watering but to be potted on while we were away. Fortunately, our wonderful friend who comes in to feed the cats can be trusted to do such things. However, we don't feel we can ask her to do this for too long or too often.

As the weather was so bad until just before we went away no gardening could be done. This meant that when we got back there was masses of catching up to do. So just three weeks holiday required lots of garden related preparation and aftermath, which is still going on though we've been back nearly two weeks.


Chris


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

At the moment we've only got a small bit of garden where I grown a few veg, plus several pots. But once Joe's retired (in 3 years) we'll be redoing the garden so the veg plot will just be shrubs that don't need too much looking after and the pots will be reduced and again have shrubs in them.

Will have to have a think about the small grassy patch (can't really call it a lawn :lol:. Maybe we'll have to think about using some artificial grass.

Denise


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

This only applies when we go on our 6/7 week jaunt around France/ Germany in summer, we employ a local little man from nearby to come in May to October for 4 hrs a week, thus during our 'away' time the gets to use the 'ride on'. The dog and two cats come with us, so no kennels/catteries are needed.

tony


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

Thats sounds like us. We dont go away in the summer due to garden, plus everybody else is on the road. Our friends and family come to see us anyway when its hot.
We went away in April this year which was a big mistake. We have been back 3 weeks and are still playing catch up. Our neighbour watered the seedlings in the conservatory and in summer if we do depart for a few days we have an automatic watering system in the potager that just needs switching on and off. The Koi are fed by another neighbour and we take the dog with us.
The plan is to have the watering system hooked up to the ipad. We already have a weather station so we know how much rain we have had, then we can irrigate when we need to.
Now we just need a solution for the grass. It took 3 whole days to mow and i have started it again yesterday. Its the worst time of year but then by July the whole thing is parched and brown and we moan about that too....


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

The lawn used to look like this until the moles attacked it. 
Just some of the 100+ pots needing water and the rest....... Ray.


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## Gary1944 (Feb 21, 2009)

Really lucky to have a next door neighbour who is happy to cut the front lawn in return for a bottle or two of french red which he usually tries to refuse! The back just looks after itself. Last year I had to strim it first, but it soon got back into shape. 

I would love to move into a seafront apartment but SWMBO is adamant. We are not moving until we can no longer look after it ourselves! Which probably means when we can no longer use the m/home. Hopefully a VERY long way away.

Gary.


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## stewartwebr (May 27, 2005)

We had artificial grass fitted about 3 years ago. It was not cheap but certainly the best thing we have ever done for the garden. It always looks good and needs zero maintenance, worth every penny and highly recommended.


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

We got rid of the house and garden, together with the allotment and went full timing

John


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

stewartwebr said:


> We had artificial grass fitted about 3 years ago. It was not cheap but certainly the best thing we have ever done for the garden. It always looks good and needs zero maintenance, worth every penny and highly recommended.


If anyone's interested I was in a Home Bargains store today (Branches nationwide) and they were selling artificial grass half price at £29.99 for 4 square metres.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Even at that price it would cost me over £10000 in fake grass PLUS groundworks. 8O 

tony


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## icer (Dec 11, 2006)

Yes it is a problem a total of 4 acres but 2.5 in 1 field that we let grow. 
Large vegetable garden and greenhouse a very mature garden and surrounded by hawthorn hedges and drainage ditches and a pond. MIL waters and we do catchup.

work like bug--ry in the growing season 

last year we went out of season sept/oct to France for 1 month back for 1 week and went to ireland via scotland for 3 weeks. 
this year eastern Germany, Poland and Czech republic end of Feb for 1 month "boy was that cold" 

Will go again mid sept for 2 months somewhere as yet undecided.
In the meantime we will stay here for the summer.

Ian


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## Gary1944 (Feb 21, 2009)

this year eastern Germany, Poland and Czech republic end of Feb for 1 month "boy was that cold" 

Hi Icer, much the same area we are planning to visit later this month. Any recommendations other than the main cities etc? We are away for 6 weeks so have the time to spend some time there.

Thanks,

Gary.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Daughter feeds the tomatoes and takes the fruits .
I cut the grass when we get home.
Sometimes I can just see the giraffes heads above the grass. :lol: :lol: 
Davep


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## icer (Dec 11, 2006)

Gary
We went via arlon and stayed in Etchternach then up mosel then onto limburg. Runkel,Wetzlarwas V nice. Alsfeld.Stayed in Leipzig at StelplatzcWhich was really a small car park but right in the centre 15E had to leave before 10am.Letr me know if you want details.Meissen,Dresden czech republic via Pirna just cruised around. Came back to germany via Ragdeberg was getting v v cold frozen waterfalls etcCotbus then Poland via Gubin. we are over 4t and did not want to buy gobox so we used back roads in poland. Wow came back via bad muskau.Burg spreewald. Hof.
We have a flogas and a German 11kg propane bottle.W Germany ok to exchange but when we went into the eastern side could not find a replacement. We agreed that we would cut short the eastern side at this point as it was -10 at night and try and find a replacement in the west.
Am now getting Gaslow.
Kronach. Well worth a visit.
Eltmann 6" snow overnight.Hassfurt,Gerolshoffer,Marktheeidenfeld. Erbach,WormsBad Schwalbach.Altendiez,Polch for new waterpump.Nehrenback via mosel and Luxembourg.

found these timber framed routes,
and just floated around, some of the towns are fantastic and well worth a visit.
http://www.eupedia.com/germany/timber-framed_towns.shtml

We set our tomtom to limited speed 90kph and it seems to put it in mental mode so between one town and another it can take unusual routes which is half the fun.

Ian


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

The lawn growing wildly I can live with but when we return from our jaunts (normally two months) the problem we face is that the hedge either side has become overgrown and I can't get the van back into the drive. :evil: 
We also have Russian ivy growing on the house and it's like the black hole once we eventually manage to get into the house as the bl**dy stuff grows like a mad in the warmer months. 
We are due to leave next week so I bit the bullet and butchered both hedge and ivy. Despite the gale force winds I managed to scalp the ivy back to the brickwork (six barrow loads of cuttings!), I also clipped the hedge to within an inch of its life. Both areas look a little sorry for themselves but do I care? I won't have to look at them for the next eight weeks :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

we do the same

Clip the hedges all 8ft tall of them, and clip the Ivy's close

Actually we do that early to give them
time to grow back for the nesting sparrows

Borders clipped, miniature conifers and some bigger shrubs 

Pots and greenhouse automatic watering

Looks amazing when we get back with the climbing roses, clematis and hostas

A bit wild but delightful all the same

aldra


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