How does your garden survive your holidays

Hmmmmmmm

I want to plan my garden so it will survive when we go away say 2/3 weeks. I guess this is normal for everyone? So I presume most gardens are fine with 2 weeks no watering or does everyone have to get someone to come and water your plants once a week?
If I was to plan a new garden and put in all drought tolerant plants would that work? I keep reading that it doesnt need as much water but it doesnt say how much water and how often.
What does it literally mean in terms of watering? 1 inch once a week? Twice a week? I know its not an exact science because it depends on your soil and the plants you have etc. But in general can you plan a garden to last 2/3 weeks with no attention?

Fairygirl

I've never been away on holiday for two weeks. I don't really do holidays at all, so I'm not the best person to advise. 
You have to plant according to your climate if you go away for long periods though. Or set up a watering system on a timer, if you don't have a friend or neighbour willing to water. That can be time consuming to set up.
My sister has a lot of pots, and that's what she does - a good neighbour. The rest of the garden is suitable for her conditions and is fine.
A drought tolerant garden, if that's the sort of climate you have, will be fine for a couple of weeks. That's the whole point of them, in the same way that mine is suited to my wetter conditions. You'd have to ensure you do have a suitable medium to start with though, before the plants go in. 

Butterfly66

I don’t water the garden at all, anything growing in the ground fends for itself. Not have I deliberately planted drought tolerant plants. Mulching will help reduce water evaporation but I also plant generously so there is little bare soil once the season is in full swing. 

 I do water my pots and the greenhouse - probably once a week in Summer, sometimes less but rarely more so if I was going to be away for more than a week, I would probably get a neighbour to come in and water them once a week. I give each pots a very good soak when watered rather than little and often.

I would also move any pots in sunny spots into a shadier area and give everything a good soak the day before I left.

nutcutlet

I only ever water in and occasional help to new shrubs. Grow perennials and shrubs suitable for your soil and watering is obsolete. 

Nollie

It also depends on your climate/rainfall patterns and what time of year you go away. A couple of weeks in spring is fine for me but I certainly couldn’t go away for long in summer without someone to water certain plants. 

JennyJ

When I used to travel a lot for work I set up an automatic watering system for the pots and hanging baskets, and it's still going all bar a few drippers needing descaling and a replacement timer after I forgot to bring the original one in early enough one winter and it got frozen and died. Everything else takes its chances. I avoid putting in new plants for a month or so before going away because they always need keeping an eye on for watering until they get settled in.

Suesyn

We have an automatic system for the greenhouse and most of the pots but everything in the ground is left to fend for itself.
We're currently in Australia for 6 weeks so we will see what happens. Usually visit during winter when the garden is well able to look after itself but had to wait for travel restrictions to be lifted.