All Very Straightforward!

Thanks for watering our garden while we’re away. The last person overwatered and several plants died. Here’s the house key, the front lock is a bit tricky. Be sure to check it has actually locked. There’s not much to know… it’s all pretty straightforward. No need to take notes, we’ll show you around. I’m sure you’ll be fine.

When you come tomorrow, the wheelie bins should already have been emptied. If you can, please bring them in. They go behind the fence over there.

Now, we’ll start in the front yard. There’s not a lot to do, we only have an acre. It would be good if you can check the mail every day, we’re not expecting much. Leave it inside the house. Oh, I did order new gardening gloves and some expensive fertiliser. They will most likely be left on the chair — by the front door — sometime in the next few days. Just pop them inside with the mail. The kitchen bench will do. I’ll put an old towel inside the door to wipe your feet on when you enter.

Now… where was I? When you arrive, drive into the driveway near the garage. I’ll have this hose connected up. It should reach across the driveway to that garden bed over there. I’ve not long transplanted those irises. It doesn’t really matter if they survive, but it would be nice if they did. The hot afternoon sun gets them and they burn easily. Leave the sprinkler on them for half an hour while you water the front yard.

Then shift the sprinkler to around the back of the house between the pool and the garage. Those plants don’t get much rain and dry out fast. Leave the sprinkler on there for the second half hour, while you water the backyard. Remember to turn it off at the end, before you leave. Being out of sight, it’s easy to forget, and you won’t hear it. It’s on town water, so the pump won’t be on for it. If you forget, you’ll just run up a big water bill.

Right. Come along to the front yard first. Turn this tap on here. This sprinkler system connects to the pump for the rainwater tank and waters these hanging pots on the front porch. Use this other hose — on this spray setting — to hand water the large pots in this courtyard and patio area daily.

Make sure the ones along the verandah don’t drown, when their saucers become full of water. The rain comes right in there. Just check and see if they’re dry, before watering them every second or third day. We have these two bird baths. Make sure they’re flushed out and filled every second day. The birds need them this time of year. It such a delight watching them play in the water.

The letter box is along this path… it’s a bit overgrown. Look out for spider webs. They’re very busy, especially lately. I can’t count the times I’ve gotten tangled up in a web on my way to check the mail! I haven’t seen many snakes lately though. You might have to check under the base of the mailbox. Sometimes mail wedges between the two surfaces. One time, a piece of mail went missing there, for days.

You’ll probably see our friendly kangaroo, who visits most days and keeps watch in the late afternoon. Now, on this side of the yard, these pots and climbing roses need to be watered. Watch out that you don’t get snagged by rose thorns. I probably should prune that before we leave this afternoon, but I might run out of time…

When you’ve done all that, turn both taps off here. Don’t forget to shift the sprinkler near the driveway, to around the back. Then go to the backyard through this gate on the northern side of the house. It’s all really pretty self explanatory, but I’ll do a quick run through just in case.

We have another sprinkler system set up in the greenhouse. Turn the automatic timer on to five minutes. It runs off tank water. Meanwhile, use this other tap, also on tank water to give the plants a quick water on the back terrace. Once you’ve done that, you can disconnect the greenhouse hose and use this hose to water the vegie patch in the fenced area. It’s mostly finished now, but we still have a few things growing.

Help yourself to the cherry tomatoes. The fruit trees should be okay, unless you don’t get any rain for a few days and the weather is especially hot. Pick the oranges, lemons and mandarins, otherwise the cockatoos will get them. They’re greedy. They just take a bite out of each one and waste the rest. Don’t forget to turn the tap off properly, because otherwise the tank will run dry and burn the pump out.

Feel free to use the indoor pool. Come through the house. If you do use the pool, turn the pool pump on for 30 minutes while you’re swimming. Once a week, put a scoop of chemicals in the pool when you first arrive, to chlorinate it. Then, run the pump to mix them. The heater won’t be on, but it should still be warm enough to swim in, because the sun shines through the roof. Make sure you turn off the pool pump and any lights in the house. Remember to lock the back door to the pool when you finish.

Before leaving — to be safe — do a quick check on the pump around the back of the house. If you don’t hear anything, it means the pump is switched off. That’s good! That’s what you want to hear!

Now, I know you said you’re not gardeners — and are used to the rain watering everything in Far North Queensland — but I’m sure you’ll do a great job! Thanks again for being so willing to help out at such short notice. We’ll be back before you know it… in four short weeks!

Enjoy the garden and pool!

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Loosely based on a real life experience. I’m relieved to report that no plants were harmed, nor property damaged!

Written for the “Instructions Included” Challenge below: