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How do you know what size hose pipe you need?
Opt for a length that will comfortably cover your garden size. Find out if the hose needs to be cut to create a connection to the tap before you buy, because this will instantly reduce the advertised length. Also think about any obstacles on your lawn that will limit the stretch. And if you want the hose to reach both your back and front lawn via the side of your house, you’ll need to calculate a length that will comfortably reach before you buy.
‘So you can move around comfortably when watering, measure the length from the tap to the furthest point and then add a little bit on,’ says Love Your Garden’s Camilla Basset-Smith. ‘Don’t be tempted to go for a much longer hose than needed as this will add weight and can reduce pressure.’
What is the best hose pipe to choose?
Choose from expandable, retractable and manually-reeling hose pipes. ‘The most durable hose pipes are made of rubber or metal and they are less likely to deteriorate in the sun compared to plastic models,’ says Camilla Basset-Smith. ‘That said, you can also find good recycled plastic designs, and if looks are important you can even find hose pipes that come in pinks and purple finishes, as opposed to your standard black, yellow and green.’
What is the best garden hose that will not kink?
If you don’t want your hose to kink, store it correctly as opposed to in a messy heap that encourages knots. Or invest in an auto reel to help it wind up neatly. ‘Store your hose in wide coils/loose circles or, if possible, in a long straight line,’ says Camilla, ‘and empty water from an un-used hose after use as any stagnant water will make the hose more rigid and encourage bacteria.’
There are many hoses now which are advertised as ‘anti-kink’ or anti-crush’. The more expensive the hose, generally the more layers in their construction material (mostly in vinyl, polyurethane and rubber with mesh layers of metal or nylon). The more layers, the more durable the hose. A braided hose where wire is woven along the tube provides very good resistance to kinking.
How do you store a hose pipe?
After a late-night watering session the last thing you want to be doing is faffing around trying to put your hose away, so choose a design that winds back easily. You can choose from expandable or an automatically retractable hoses and those that you need to wind up yourself. Also consider storage and if you’d simply prefer to wheel the hose pipe back into the shed on a cart, or have it neatly mounted on a wall.
What is the best way to use a reel properly?
If you don’t want to manually reel the hose pipe in yourself, an automatic reel will work well. ‘An automatic reel will pull the hose back via a spring mechanism and make for an easy watering life,’ says Camilla. ‘A wall mounted reel can be fitted and those that pivot make it easy to water as the hose can follow the direction you are working in. When using a manual reel which is wound by a hand crank, work slowly and surely, layering the pipe onto the reel as you wind and coil evenly.’
What’s the best way to keep the garden hydrated when there’s a hose pipe ban?
During a hose pipe ban reach for your watering can and water butt. ‘You can use ‘grey water’, such as bath or washing up water, which is a sustainable way of ensuring nothing goes to waste, but don’t use these on edible crops,’ says Camilla. ‘Move potted plants or baskets into shade to reduce the rate at which they lose water and use benches or parasols to shade borders where possible. If away on holiday, you can leave pots in trays of water so that they can soak up what they need as the days go by. You can also choose certain lining materials for hanging baskets that retain water.’
What plants do well in drought and dry conditions?
‘One of my favourite plants, which not only thrives in dry conditions but flowers from May until October, is the Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus),’ says Camilla. ‘Delicate white daisies with a hint of pink congregate en masse and spread easily, looking stunning along a wall, in pavement cracks or in your borders or pots.’
