Three Ways to Water: Keeping Your Garden Green
Keeping your yard watered, green, and healthy is no easy feat! Your potted annuals and perennial border need consistent water for flowers to pop. But getting out there every day (especially on those hot ones in July!) can be challenging. Depending on the size and components of your yard, you’ll have a variety of needs.
Here are three ways to water for yard hydration and ultimate curb appeal this summer.
SPRINKLERS
Whether you have an in-ground system or simply set out an oscillating gadget, sprinklers are a relatively hands-off way of keeping your yard watered.
With a sprinkler system, a professional company comes in and installs sprinkler heads in various parts of the yard for efficient coverage. There’s an operational box - usually in your garage or a utility room - for you to set and monitor the timing and usage of the system. Most families will run their system once or twice a day, being mindful of the city watering ordinances. At the end of the year, many professional companies can come out and winterize the system, blowing out any remaining water before the first freeze.
With regular hand-placed sprinklers, you’ll need to choose which option works best for your yard. Some options include: fixed spray, rotary, flood bubblers, and oscillating. Each has a different use for the area of your yard or garden that needs watering. With hand-placed sprinklers, you’ll need to attach the device to a garden hose and potentially move it around, depending on placement.
Both sprinkler systems and hand-placed sprinklers get wide coverage and when run for the proper amount of time, give great hydration to grasses and plants during summer months.
Also - running through the sprinklers on a hot day is a real hit with the kids!
HOSES
Maybe you’ve got a smaller yard and the idea of a long-running sprinkler seems a bit overkill. For spaces that you can easily walk around, a simple garden hose is efficient for watering.
Garden hoses come in hundreds of materials and sizes, but which would work best for you? Consider your storage ability, the weight you can lift, and how long you need it to last. Common hose materials include vinyl, rubber, or cloth expandable. You can also choose a hose nozzle attachment that offers different ways to spray.
Hose durability can be broken into three categories: light, standard, or heavy. According to Home Depot,
Light-duty hoses aren’t as durable, but they’re easier to wind up and store than stronger-duty hoses. They work well in small gardens.
Standard hoses are good for most residential lawn and landscape needs. Take care of general gardening work with a medium-duty hose.
Heavy-duty hoses have thick walls and are very sturdy. You can leave them outside and exposed to the elements without risking damage.
Consider which hose works best for you and your yard. You’ll also want to store it safely to avoid kinks or damage.
WATERING CANS
For those with condo balcony gardens, or potted plants on a patio, the classic watering can offers the most ease and accessibility to get water to where it needs to go. It’s as simple as filling it up in the kitchen sink or outside spigot, walking to where you need to water, and pour! Not only are watering cans inexpensive and easy to use, but there are many different styles that can also double as yard decoration. They are just too cute.
Watering cans can also be used with other watering systems for more direct spot hydration. Sometimes sprinklers don’t fully saturate a specific plant, and if you notice it needs a bit more, a quick pour from the watering can is a great solution. Watering cans are helpful to have around in early spring when sprouts are still small and the power from a hose would be too strong. Watering cans pour like a gentle rain would - offering delicate delivery of water.
Kids can easily navigate watering cans, too! Using this tool gives them a sense of purpose and fulfillment as the family contributes to the yardwork
Whichever way you choose to water, keeping your grass and plants hydrated is an inevitable task of summertime. You have options to be more hands-on for those who enjoy meditative time in their gardens, or more hands-off for folks who spend time traveling during the summer months. Find which option works best for you! Happy watering!
