On 14/01/2014 10:32, Martin Brown wrote:

As the OP is in Italy I'd think asking in a more appropriate group would
be the answer

You sure about that? His footer claims he's at Trinity College Dublin.

The email address used for the first post is @ alice.it

He says in his follow up post

Actually, the weather here (in eastern Tuscany)
is not that different from the UK or Ireland.
Surprisingly, annual rainfall is greater here
though it rains less often but heavier.
As far as I can see the plants that grow here are much the same as in Dublin
(though I am no expert).

Going by the Dublin link it could well be that there will be periods
when there will be no one to water the plants.
But as always we are given minimal information in the first instance.
David