Hosed!

This size pot holds a 100 ft hose nicely.

 

Since we don’t have a sprinkler system (crazy) we have gigantic 100 ft. hoses everyplace. We have tried everything to try to hide them. This has been fruitless so far, because we don’t feel we have found a workable system for doing so that isn’t unsightly or takes forever to roll back up. I hate those hose things that you have to turn the wheel to wind them back up.  They don’t work very well and are slow as can be.  We had not found a solution, that is, until we went to my Mother-In-Law’s 90th birthday party that was in their beautiful yard. (It must be noted that they maintain this gorgeous goliath themselves.) As I was going in the back door, I spotted the best idea I have ever seen that they had come up with. There, sitting on their patio, was the solution! They had taken a flowerpot/container, and utilized it as the home for the hose, where they had then just laid the hose in, circling the pot with it as they filled the container.  It was brilliant! It looked great! And it was fast winding it back up! 

We immediately ran to our local discount garden place and found a handsome large and sturdy burgundy colored plastic container that worked well with the outside colors of the house. Reid drilled a few small holes about the circumference of a pencil  in the bottom for drainage. 

Hole in lower side of container to add stability

 

Next, he put a hole just a hair larger than the coupler on the hose, in the side, close to the bottom of the container, that would allow to snake the hose into the container. Voile’!  A great solution for a problem that has driven us crazy for years. Reid used a saw hole on his drill, but his father just used a sharp knife to cut this larger hole on the side  This also gives the whole thing stability and keeps it from falling over as you pull the hose out of the container through the top.  If you just don’t want to mess with putting in the holes just use a heavier pot that already comes with a hole in the bottom of it. I used this lighter weight one for several weeks without the side hole in it, and it was okay, but kept falling over. I don’t think you would have this problem with a heavier pot.      

My mother and father-in-law on her 90th birthday, with their great grandchildren.

 

Perhaps the most incredible part of this post is that my in-laws take care of their own large gorgeous yard at the age of 90 and 91. Proof that yard work is good for you! No excuses for the rest of us!!!! 🙂