Friday, June 6, 2014

Wrangling Garden Hoses

I do a lot of hand watering of my garden. One of the most frustrating things about gardening for me is keeping the garden hoses unkinked and not in a big mess of a knot when in use and tidy when not in use. I purchase hoses that purport to be kink-free, but so far none have lived up to their promotional promises. Then I’ve struggled with how to keep the hoses reasonably contained in a relatively tidy fashion.

There are lots of options, many of which are expensive, so I wonder which works best. Hose pots look attractive, especially the hammered copper variety; hose reels look more practical; hose trucks, carts and cabinets look functional and durable, but take up lots of space; and then there are the house mounted hose butlers in a myriad of designs. I have three hose connections I need to find solutions for, with hoses ranging from 50 feet to 150 feet.

Do you have a solution that helps you keep your sanity (my neighbors probably fear they have a pirate living next door with all the ARGHHHHHs and explicatives coming from my yard)?!? Please share. I’ll thank you and my neighbors will, too!

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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 12, 2014 at 9:30 AM

    Some of my hoses have a permanent kink in one spot. I am looking for a small, flexible slip-on something that I can place over that spot so it can't continue to kink. Haven't found it yet..maybe I need to invent it and become rich!

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  2. Miss AvyJune 12, 2014 at 9:34 AM

    I just wind my hose, which is quite long I might add, into a figure 8 flat on the ground. My daughter taught me this and it rarely gets tangled. It pulls off the top slick as a whistle. Also, because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, it is hard for me to pull a long hose with just my hands. My solution: Hold the end with one hand and turn around, thus wrapping it around my body once. This helps anchor the hose and puts less stress on my hands. Then I just start walking. It works!

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  3. AnonymousJune 12, 2014 at 9:38 AM

    When rolling up a hose on the ground after use, wind it in a figure 8 pattern instead of around and around in a circle like the picture. Hose will pull out straight next time you use it instead of in coils that kink (like a springy phone cord or a slinky).

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  4. AnnJune 12, 2014 at 9:42 AM

    Great ideas! I'll warm up my hoses and try the figure eight. Love that it is a no-cost solution. And the kink-stopper idea is a good one. Often the hose sleeve, that when new is near the connector, breaks free and slips down the hose. Perhaps that would work for at least one kink-prone area. Would the clips used to hold shade or other cloth down on cloches work for this purpose?

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