Many people simply coil their garden hose up at the base of the spigot. While this is certainly neater and tidier than leaving the hose lying across the yard, coiling a garden hose can be a tedious job. Not only that, but it can be messy since the last little bit of water in the hose usually winds up squirting out all over your feet and legs. Fortunately, today there are wide varieties of methods available for storing your garden hose that not only look tidy, but make the job of watering your lawn and garden easier.
One of the easiest ways to store a garden hose is in a pretty container. While it doesn’t do much to make the job of coiling the hose easier, tucking it away inside a garden hose container look tidy and can add charm to your yard or garden. Some fun containers to consider are large copper or terra cotta pots, old metal buckets or tubs, or even wicker baskets. If you go with a wicker basket for your garden hose container be sure to bring it inside during the winter to keep it from cracking and splitting.
Many stores also sell ready-made plastic garden hose containers, however they often lack the charm of coming up with your own creative container.
Another simple way of storing your hose is to get a garden hose rack that attaches to the side of your house. These racks are essentially just a bar made of plastic or metal that sticks out from the side of your house. You can coil the hose and hang it on the rack to keep it up off the ground and tidy.
Coiling your hose by hand can be a tedious task. If you hate to coil, a garden hose reel may be a great choice for you. Hose reels have a large spool encased in a plastic housing that your hose winds around. Garden hose reels come in both manual and powered models. The powered reels automatically wind your hose, while the manual hose reels have a crank handle that you can turn to wind your hose tidily onto the reel.
Some hose reels are mounted to your house or building, keeping the hose up off the ground the yard looking tidy. Mounted hose reels come in horizontal or parallel models. The hose from a horizontal hose reel unwinds perpendicular (at a right angle) to the side of the house. Parallel hose reels, on the other hand, unwind the hose parallel to the side of the house or building. This option is handy for long flowerbeds or driveways, watering the side yard or cleaning between buildings.
Another type of hose reel that is available does not attach to the side of your house, but rather is stored inside a plastic container that sits near your spigot. You can turn the box to accommodate whichever direction you need to unwind the hose. The box also comes with a sturdy plastic lid with enough room to place a potted plant or flowers so you can help the box to blend in with your landscape.
The final type of garden hose reel is a portable reel or cart reel. Just like the name implies, these hose reels come on wheels and allow you to move your hose easily from one spigot to another. This is a very handy feature if you have a single hose and need to water both a front and back yard.
Hose reels, containers, racks and stands are usually quite low priced provided you do not go with a powered model. The small investment in a garden hose storage solution is well worth it since it helps to keep your yard tidy and clean and can help to extend the life of your hose.
