It doesn't take much to keep a gardener in the garden, but it also doesn't take much to drag us back out, either. Life's little inconveniences can often easily distract our gardening efforts and force us to "down tools" and answer its beckoning call. Even the most well-intentioned interruptions can leave us wondering when we will get that time back again.

So, rather than give you tips on how to say NO to your well-meaning friends who've dropped over to show you their houseplans here are 8 tips that only take a little preparation.

"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail." -- Ben Franklin

1. Leave the phone indoors - the most obvious interrupter is the phone because it always seems so urgent. I've never had the compulsion to open my mail as soon as it arrives nor read emails as soon as they hit the inbox. Yet the phone comes with a noise - a very disturbing, and urging noise - that needs to be quietened immediately. So, to resist the urge either turn it off or leave it indoors where you can't hear it.
2. Organise an activity for the kids - gardening with kids is always a fun activity but when you want some time on your own the best thing you can do is organise an activity that will keep the kids amused for a while. Catching butterflies, or snails, usually keeps them occupied for an half hour and won't require your dedicated attention. If you're hoping to get a solid weekend in the garden then farming them out to grandparents or friends may be an even better idea.
3. Lock your front door - I don't know about your friends but if mine can't contact me on the phone then they're very likely to drop over and see if I'm home. While this is wonderful, when it comes to trying to stay out in the garden it can be a tad annoying. So, it pays to lock your front door and the side gates as well - just to give the allusion that you're out.
4. Pre-warn your friends - better still is the idea of pre-warning your friends that you plan to spend a day or two of solitude in the garden. Pre-warning may be a little extreme if you're trying to get just 20 minutes alone but if you're wanting the weekend then slipping it into conversations prior to the date may help your friends understand why your phone is not being answered and the front door is locked.
5. Turn up your iPod - obviously turning them up too loud is going to impair your hearing but I find that when I have mine on I can easily dismiss everything else that's going on in my mind and focus solely on gardening.
6. Pre-arrange your resources - the number 1 cause that takes me out of the garden is realising that I don't have the supplies that I need to finish a gardening job. I'm either short a plant or two, or missing a garden stake, or the garden hose just disintegrated in three places. This is where the Boy Scout motto "be prepared" should be your anthem. Consider what tasks you are likely to perform during your gardening solace and ensure that you have the resources on hand to achieve it.
7. Focus on a particular task - I get a bit ditsy when I enter the garden for an extended spell.One minute I'm deadheading the roses and the next I'm edging the lawn. Then it's back to some more deadheading before turning the compost. At the end of the day I walk inside to put my feet up and realise the one job I needed to do was the very one I completely forgot. I find it much easier to focus on a list of tasks and worth through that then flitter around from one spontaneous activity to another - although it is much more fun.
8. Organise others to help - gardening with a friend, or a group of friends, can be very helpful in keeping you out in the garden. At least this way they won't be bugging you to come and fix their problems. While you may prefer the solitude of gardening alone it is sometimes quite refreshing spending time with friends engaged in gardening activity.

So, there you have it. You now have no reason to spend that planned weekend soaking up some rays and enjoying a spot of gardening without the interruptions. Happy gardening...