When I’m working in the garden I use the same equipment over and over again.
Some things I inherited, like my spade and my rakes (garden and leaf) and a menacing-looking yet elegantly effective pitchfork–the way it pierces a pile of composting leaves is poetic.
Other items are new friends, things I don’t know what I did without them.
Yes, actually, I do know what I did. I didn’t enjoy gardening as much. And, sometimes, I thought unkind thoughts.
In particular, I love my nice garden hose. Its predecessor was the most regular target of my ire. The kinking. Aaargh, the kinking.
I would suddenly lose water pressure. I’d slap it against the ground. Twist it and pull it. Slap some more, grimace and gripe.
I hope the neighbors weren’t looking, with me like some demented lion tamer whipping that flaccid thing around.
It was so weak-walled it had multiple mends which would periodically blow, sending it hissing and skittering through the garden and me running for the faucet to turn it off, wet and bothered.
Finally, standing there in the garden center looking at the good, better, and best grades of hose, a light bulb went on.
I could buy my eighteenth cheepo hose and continue this self-abusive dance. Or, I could cough up a little more money and put an end to the torture.
I got the best hose and I could just kiss it.
My second best friend also has to do with watering. After all, watering is one of the most important aspects of successful gardening. I used to dread it but now I love it, thanks to my lovely new hose and the eighth wonder of the world: The Watering Wand.
If it sounds like magic, it is.
My old upgrade from The Thumb was a nozzle, like you use to wash your car. It had a “gentle” setting, but compared to the watering wand, well, ptooey!
The beauty of the wand is not only in the soft, “rain” setting, but in the wand part. It puts the water right where you need it, right at ground level, without bending. No splashing, no carving ruts around your tender seedlings.
It makes watering fun again. Luckily for the entertainment of my neighbors, robbed of my performance with the old hose, they now can watch me wrestling my kids for the use of the watering wand.
“Let me water!”
“No! I’m watering!”
“Give me that!”
“Let me do it for a while!”
“Mama!”
image finegardening.com
I love my watering wand too! My first one was from Walmart and it leaked and finally broke. Then I discovered my local feed store and bought one there….no leaks! I love it!
Watering wands are nice. Good tools make all the difference!
I keep thinking about getting a wand but put it off, I think you’ve convinced me now!
I have my eye on a bright yellow one!
I would love to see you fighting with the kids over who gets to water..lol. I have to admit to never watering my garden though…except in extreme drought conditions…at which point we are issued a hosepipe ban so it is kind of a mute point with me. Glad you enjoy it though.
I’ll have to try a watering wand. My favorite “I can’t believe I used to garden without it” tool is “The Claw” (by Garden Weasel, I think). It’s utterly amazing how that can break up and stir soil – and I can use it near plants. Weeding is so easy – loosen the soil, throw away the weeds. I also have (I got this first) a hand-sized one, which was so amazing that I bought the large one. It’s even ripped out sod like nobody’s business when our preschool was putting in a new play structure!
I heart you guys. This is what I needed to give myself permission to banish my stupid kinkin’ cheapo hose forever. Sweet freedom!
I love watering wand. I love it!
I am curious about the hose you got — I have cheap kinky ones I don’t much care for but I don’t much like my old and good hose. It is just too heavy and so it is banished to the side lawn, which I do not water much. Is your new one heavy and hard to roll up?
Oregon has dry summers (and wet winters) so watering the garden is a must.
alice–Well, it is pretty heavy. I don’t usually roll it up or move it all at once–it just stays in the garden area so it isn’t that bad. I don’t remember the brand.
Do you have a link for the model water wand that you have or the name and mode? I very much want a good, solid wand that works for seed beds (fine mist) as well as established plants (steady stream).
caseyOR–I use the standard garden center kind, nothing special. It’s just special to me! I wish I could give you better information but I haven’t done much comparison shopping. I bet a good nursery would let you hook a few up to a hose and give them a test spray. Go for the ones with brass fittings, though. Plastic always cracks after a while, esp, after some UV damage.
This thing makes kids want to water the garden? I haven’t tried it but I already think I’m in love.
Love the water wand. Also Mechanix Leather Palm gloves – light weight, cool, durable. Hated gloves til I bought these for pruning the roses. Now I weed in them too. Also the flat blade spade my son picked out for me for Mother’s Day when he was 5 years old.
After seeing your watering wand we went out and bought one. Before we even started watering we were already biting at the bit to take turns using it! haha
Our hose just *barely* reaches our garden. BARELY. I literally have to stand a few feet away and arch the spray into the back corner. My neighbors think it’s hilarious…particularly their two year old. 🙂
I need to get me one of those. They do look like fun!