Garden Management & Forum

[pambon]

Much is spoken here on the management of the fabric side of renting but little mention is made about our outside areas i.e gardens/pools/patios etc.

Firstly, I was wondering if anyone had thought, in the past, to open a Gardener's Forum, based on geographical location, with an exchange of plants and advice etc.

Secondly, I am wondering how those of you with large or small gardens manage when guests are in residence. Do you ask them to water occasionally or do you insist on 'intruding' on their privacy and doing it yourself?

I myself only have a small waist-high raised flowerbed which gives me much pleasure and satisfaction and adds a touch of colour to the patio area. When guests are in residence, I ask them if they'd mind watering it in the evenings - most are happy to oblige but a few do neglect it (my heart goes out to my poor drooping plants ) and I don't know if I should intrude/insist or what......

Love to read your comments on these two queries.

[Margaret]

What an excellent idea! The external appearance of a property is soooo important - it is apermanent advertisement, unless you are in a really out of the way location. Even then, the first impression guests have when they arrive can colour their whole attitude to the accommodation.

As to your second question, all of our apartments have balconies with geraniums in window boxes in summer. We give the guests the option of watering themselves or we come in and do it. All say they will do it themselves but often forget. Mostly, geraniums cope pretty well with being neglected for a few days but I do sometimes creep into the apartments when the guests are out and do the watering - hopefully without leaving any sign that I have been in!

[pambon]

How brave of you Margaret! I sometimes would like to do that but fear I'll be caught out and should they find they've misplaced something, may even accuse me of pinching it...!!I'm rather drastic but I always think the worst so I can be pleasantly surprised

Yes, the outside is just as important as the inside in my opinion.

Have been busy this week cleaning and pruning (I have 8 beautiful hibiscus plants) as in Jan the apt is occupied which is when I'd be doing this work. Feb is getting as bit late down our way for this sort of thing, so now it looks clean and welcoming instead of straggley and full of weeds

[Chianti]

Pambon
I've thought a gardening section has been needed for some time but worried there wouldn't be enough interest. I'm an avid, but learner gardener here, and consider the garden the outside room to the rental property, thus very important.

Watering here is a nightmare, as we've little shade from trees so it's an hour's task once daily for 6 months of the year. It seems not to matter if it's not watered twice during the hottest period, to my surprise.

Plants will be covered tonight as it will be very cold and the plant pots will all come inside. I suspect you don't have that problem.

[Margaret]

We finished tidying up outside in October. Everything is now under snow. I still have a few bedraggled geraniums in window boxes which held on to the bitter end but we don't really have guests in until 19th December, so I still have a few days.

This year, for the first time, we have had our own little Christmas trees to dig up for putting in the apartments for Christmas. They are a bit spindly and oddly shaped so I shall be working hard to persuade the guests that the 'natural' look is much nicer really and more environmentally friendly!

Our neighbours do a lovely job of filling their pots and window boxes with heathers and other greenery in the winter. I am hoping to have more time to do that next year.

[pambon]

I'm so glad that approval is filtering in - I was worried I'd done a bloomer!

I too, am a newbie at gardening (since I bought the rental in 2005, renovated it in 2006 and that same autumn started to get my mini-garden into shape) but have discovered the avid gardener in me

No frosts here but VERY high winds which wreak havoc. We are located high on the side of a valley and the wind just comes down in full force ruining everything; it even manages to cause structural damage to our houses over the long term. (We are talking 80km an hour winds).

One thing I won't place in my rental are houseplants. Holidaymakers are not interested in looking after them; the buck stops with watering my mini.

All this is sooooo interesting that I'm not even dedicating my Sunday pm to reading Saturday's Daily Telegraph!!

[Margaret]

I do have plant in most of the apartments - usually biggish ones on the floor so they don't take up table space - and only where there is enough room. I concentrate on ones which can survive long periods without water. Mainly bought from Ikea which has excellent plants at very good prices!

[Chianti]

I've never been keen on houseplants, there's enough work outside without having to deal with them inside. Pambon I can't imagine living with 80 km per hour winds, how frightening. I've just had to bring in the plant pots as it's getting cold and don't want them to suffer and have covered the more delicate outdoor plants. The only hybiscus we have is in a pot and this year it didn't flower until October. It's now damaged by the 1 freezing night we had a couple of weeks ago, but I hope will recover in the spring as they're so pretty.

Most of the heavy work is done for the year, but on nice winter days there is still plenty of work to do in preparation for next spring.

[pambon]

I've never been keen on houseplants, there's enough work outside without having to deal with them inside. Pambon I can't imagine living with 80 km per hour winds, how frightening. I've just had to bring in the plant pots as it's getting cold and don't want them to suffer and have covered the more delicate outdoor plants. The only hybiscus we have is in a pot and this year it didn't flower until October. It's now damaged by the 1 freezing night we had a couple of weeks ago, but I hope will recover in the spring as they're so pretty.

Most of the heavy work is done for the year, but on nice winter days there is still plenty of work to do in preparation for next spring.

Chianti, if you winter the hibiscus indoors in a sunny place - not near a draught or radiator and even put it out on sunny days, it should do fine for next year. On the whole they are quite hardy, but you should remember that all hibiscus are naturally native to Hawaii....

There is a very good gardening site called shoot (www.shootgardening.co.uk) which I use a lot and find interesting.

[enid]

We don't have house plants in the cottages but a lot of plants outside. we usually water them early evening and always ask - guests seem not to mid and often we find they take the opportunity to ask us things or ask us things ( they don't want to intrude too much on our privacy either!!!). Often a glass of wine is poured for us and people chat to us whilst we water.

P.S. A gardening section is a great idea!

[paolo]

I don't think we need a separate section for gardening, as it falls naturally under house management, and any threads on gardening can happily sit in there. That is not to say that threads on gardening are not welcome.

[Chianti]

Pambon
Thanks I was thinking of doing that, wish I had done so, before some of the leaves got damaged. I wasn't aware they were native to Hawaii. Thanks also for the link, when I get a mo I'll have a look.

[pambon]

I don't think we need a separate section for gardening, as it falls naturally under house management, and any threads on gardening can happily sit in there. That is not to say that threads on gardening are not welcome.

There's an awful lot under house management and generally gardening is usually given it's own slot.......also it's quick and easy to find........

Whatever

[Chianti]

I totally agree especially if it includes swimming pools.

[pambon]

I totally agree especially if it includes swimming pools.

I hope you're agreeing with me Chianti
Perhaps gardens are a female issue and Paolo is expressing a typically 'macho' comment

Down this way it's more the lady of the house that deals with gardening issues although the husbands of several of my friends are the exception to the rule. My EL definitely isn't though