I had another post ready to go today but need to add something else to it. Blogger does not like to let me drag pictures like it once did. I am finding it difficult to add a new picture to a post so since it will take time to add my new picture, I will just write a quick new blog for today! Okay, the topic: Do you roll your Garden Hose after each time you use it? I wish I lived in a perfect world where I have an underground watering sprinkler system. This water would come from the lake that my dream house sits by. Now, since I don't have this dream house or a lake in my back yard, I must rely on Nature to water for me. When Nature is not cooperating with me, I must unroll the hose and drag it all over the yard to my many small gardens scattered about.
We are lucky to have a water spigot on both sides of our house. But even at that, each faucet has 200 feet of hose attached to it. It is a pain in the butt to drag the thing around the yard in the Heat and Humidity of a Georgia Summer. So once I am finished with the watering bit, I am so tired from dragging the heavy hose around that I some times think I should leave the hose lying on the ground for the next time I need it. But nope, Miss Organised and likes everything in her place, (that would be me) has to roll up the hose each time she uses it. So I would like to know, DO YOU ROLL UP YOUR GARDEN HOSE? In the Garden...
We spent about 8 hours in the yard on a 92 degree day yesterday! Here is something we spotted in our driveway culvert to get us to slow down and enjoy more wildlife. This one was a biggie in my book! Thank goodness for zoom lens or I would not have this picture!
A beautiful shade of orange-red on the belly side and rather large in size. We did not see the entire thing stretched out as it slithered back into the culvert when it saw me. I looked in our snake book and the best we can tell, this is a Red-Bellied Water Snake! Yep, water snake in our yard! It was in the water run off area (dry creek) so normal it was following the water stream looking for Frogs, Salamanders and Toads. They can grow up to 4.5 feet long and they are NOT poisonous. That's good to know as this was an intimidating snake but now that I know what it is, I will be less fearful if I see another one in the future. After a long hot day in the yard yesterday, we are headed to the lake for a boat ride to relax! Maybe we will see something else fun to share with you!
Everyone have a Good Day!
Ummm, No. Most of the time, not all of the time. Looks bad I know. I'll try to do better. Hate Snakes!
ReplyDeleteWell, good morning Skeeter! That is some kind of snake! Good pictures of him. Must be snake season, I had one last week, though no camera in hand.
ReplyDeleteWe have a manually cranked metal hose roller. I LOVE having that! I did let them sit outside over our winter, so now they are rusting up and the wheels have rusted so much the tires fell off, but they are behind the shrubs near the spigot so I don't worry about how it looks. In the Learning Garden we bought some of those plastic (I know, not really attractive.) automatic hose rollers. They aren't too $$ --about $65 and that will hold 200 feet of hose. When you are done watering, leave the water on, flip the rewind lever and the hose rolls back into the carrier. wonderful!
No, I don't, but I wish someone in my family would notice the big pile of hose and roll it up! What would be heavenly would be a faucet by each bed that I could connect a drip hose to! I do find that dragging the heavy hoses around is starting to strain my back! On my list of nevers~ 'Never get a 100 foot hose again'
ReplyDeleteNice snake!
gail
Happy Sunday Skeeter!
ReplyDeleteYes, I do roll the garden hose and it is a pain. We have pond on the back but I don't know how to pump the water to the garden, the fountain is just for the view.
You are brave, if I see a snake, I will be running away, probably faster than Forest Gump.
Cool snake! Here in Australia they're all venomous, so it must be nice not to have to be afraid of it.
ReplyDeleteI roll up though it's one job I love to hate! That's a great snake picture. I'm scared of snakes but would love to take a photo (zoom, of course) like that!
ReplyDeleteNope I do not! I should but I water everyday and sometimes twice on hot days. So it stays where I can grab it fast. I have inground sprinklers so they come on automatically too. It is extremely hot and dry here in the summer so its a must. Otherwise I would not have any garden at all!
ReplyDeleteMy hose is black so you don't see it that much anyhow(-:
If you come over I will try and have the hoses rolled up neatly though(-:
Snake is a gorgeous shade of orange. I have two hose reels and I like them. However, I do NOT roll the hose up after each use, especially if there's something I water every day, maybe even twice a day. My hose has been left near my seedling tray for weeks now! :)
ReplyDeleteGood question this morning. I am not so picky with everything in its place, but do put the hose away after I use it. I have an area in the back that I roll the hose in a big circle. Here it sits and stays in the shade. It is convenient and works. Now in the front, I do not roll. I actually tuck it inside the trench along my edged front foundation beds. I like it better this way, but unfortunately it gets sun and I know that wears on hoses very much, but it works for me all these years.
ReplyDeleteI think that snake is great! At first I thought it would be a copperhead you saw. Could not think of a orange bellied snake. I always thought snakes were good, but a friend of mine has tons of racers in her house. We were walking up her concrete stairs and a 4 footer raced right in front of us. Freaky I tell you! I've not seen any in my yard. Anonymous, send them here! Sidekick won't miss a few:)
Skeeter, have fun on the boat. Mr. Fix-it and the kids are going out on ours today. I get to stay home and clean, and do school work and gardening. Yippee!
The one out back I NEVER coil up but out front most of the time I do.
ReplyDeleteOh I am so glad that the snake is not full of posion. He is a pretty color. I am not scared of snakes but they do startle me in the garden once in a while. It helps that we do not have poisonious snakes in Maine.
Have fun on the lake!!
EEEEK! No snakes for me, I would call animal control and tell them "I'll be the one sitting in the car"
ReplyDeleteI roll up mine, it causes a line of dead grass on the lawn. I somehow got lucky though, JOAT piped underground to the veggie bed!
I'm a non-roller until I put the hoses away for winter. I have a splitter on the tap (faucet) which allows for 2 separate hoses which go to different parts of the garden. A little untidy but I nudge them under the plants at the edge of the path....much less effort :-)
ReplyDeleteThough I must say your hose is almost a work of art coiled so neatly!
I'm a tidy gardener too and hoses siting around drive me bonkers. But, during times of getting plants established when hey need more frequent waterings and no one is coming over, I'll leave it out. I use to have cute hose pots, but they became a nuisance to roll up that tight. I now lay those hoses in long sweeps or casual curls. I have another one on a crank roller. Others still sitting the the garden waiting for use. I don't like to drag a hose around. As such, I have my beds designed with hoses in them. H.
ReplyDeleteP.S. When Tina came for a visit, I made sure my hoses were neat and tidy ;~}
Hello everyone! The internet is not on target today so a bit late getting to you all. Love these things when they work, get angry at them when they do not. But that is life... We did not make it to the lake today as planned. Sigh, I woke up with a backache amongst other pains from our yard work yesterday. When I told the Saint I did not think I could relax on the boat, he said, “good, we will stay home today and do nothing but rest”! He will not admit it but he is also sore! So today we will heal and be ready for more work this week...
ReplyDeleteIt looks as though most of you do not roll your hose back into place. I cannot believe I do as it is tough work in the hot summers we get here in Georgia! But our gardens are beyond the grass and I think it would look horrible plus kill the grass beneath if I left it lying in the hot sun. Even the Saint likes the hose rolled up and he usually looks for the easy way out. So for us we must roll it back into place. I am just too neat I guess. A trait I get from my dad as he also rolls his hose!
Urg, the internet just interfered with me so I better get off here before I loose all these typed words. Plus my back hurts while sitting at the desk….
Have a great day!
We used to have 2 of the rollers, like Janet mentioned, above. Those seemed nice at first, but eventually ended up tangling the hoses inside them. Now we just have metal things attached to the sides of the house to roll them around. I have gotten lazy and leave the hoses on the driveway. My husband always rolls it back up. I guess I know he'll do that, so by the time I'm finished and all tired out, I don't worry so much about it. If he's away for a week or so, I do end up putting it away, though! It's appropriate to include that water snake in your post, it shows that he's hanging out where he can get a little water now and then...and perhaps he's helping keep nasty critters away from you as well.
ReplyDeleteNO SNAKES! Scared to death of them. I have one of those hoses that scrunches back up and is lighter weight than traditional hoses. I can't for the life of me at the moment think what they're called!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
If I think I will be using the hose in the next couple of days, I don't roll up the hose, no.
ReplyDeleteWe had a Red-Bellied Water Snake living in the beds next to the house last year. We kept surprising each other. lol We have a lot of those around here, as much of our property is in the floodplain and we get a lot of drainage from higher up.
liebe Grüße von Kathrin
ReplyDeleteI have been having to water frequently this summer. I usually leave the hose out unless we are getting ready to mow or expecting company.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Lorilee
Yes I actually do even though like you said I sometimes would rather leave it where it is after a few hours of lugging it all over the place. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding right ?
ReplyDelete200 feet of hose ?
There are two gardeners in this house so both of our hoses just lay on the ground most of the time. I'm not saying who does it. lol
It depends which hose I use. The side yard that no one sees I usually leave the hose laying on the ground unless someone is coming over. The other backyard and front yard hoses I usually wind up so no one trips over them. I've been doing lots of watering lately and am tired of hoses.
ReplyDeleteLol, I have so enjoyed seeing who rolls their hose and who leaves it on the ground, I do a bit of both. Also rather than have a long hose to pull around everywhere, I have various hoses in different parts of the garden and then attach it to the main (short) hose.
ReplyDeletePersonally I cannot understand why someone has not invented a hose that is easy to roll up, doesn't get kinks, or stuck under objects, and looks nice - shouldn't be difficult, should it?
Hope you feel better for your day of rest.
K
You were very brave to get those photos of the snake, Skeeter, zoom or not. I would have dropped my camera and run for the house instead:)
ReplyDeleteAs for my hose, I bought one of those box-type storage units, thinking it would be a neater way of keeping the hose rolled up. But by the time I'm finished watering, I'm often too tired to turn the crank to roll it back up. Kind of defeats the purpose of trying to be neat, doesn't it?
Hey Everyone! Sorry just now getting back to you but I have been up here to the office several times and the internet will not allow me to post! I was shocked when I saw my earlier comment actually did post as it did not seem to when I was sending it! I am also receiving emails in triple and that is not fun so defiantly a internet issue and not computer issue. Thank goodness as I dont need to spend more money right now!
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how many of you keep your hose lying on the ground. I think I would if our yard was not mostly grass but for this house and the way all the gardens are so far away from the spigot, well, I will continue to roll the hoses. Next house will have underground sprinklers or a faucet in the garden for soaker hoses! Or with the way I feel today, a condo with a gardener and pool cleaner to watch sounds good! LOL
The Saint has been on the sofa channel surfing all day and I have been on the futon in the sun room watching Classic movies and some other fun stuff while resting my bones. We feel so much better! Tomorrow it is back to the yard for me as I have so much more on my list of tasks. Now, time to watch a movie with the Saint.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend with family, friends or in the garden....
I roll up my hose, because if I don't I will trip over it, sure as eggs are eggs. I can trip over anything, even my own feet. The hose is on a reel, with a handle (a crank roller, Helen Y calls it) so it's a fairly easy job. The annoying bit is unrolling it to water something - there is ALWAYS a kink in it. We can send men to the Moon, but we can't make a hose that doesn't kink, it seems.
ReplyDeleteWe have three outdoor hoses. One is on a crank rolling holder, so that one does get wound up after use unless I'm in the middle of spring or fall planting.
ReplyDeleteThe one in the cottage garden is a currently a flat hose. We've tried all different hoses and organizers there and nothing works well. I recently wound it around my watering can and that worked as well as anything. Usually, we just coil it on the ground beside the hawthorn bushes.
The third one, my husband uses a lot for his pool maintenance tasks and it is currently coiled behind the ginger plants and he pulls out what he needs. That one would work okay on a crank roller.
Snakes are really out this year (and not very shy about it) from all the rain this year. You're brave, even with a zoom to photo that water snake! It's big.
Cameron
I have to admit I'm a lazy daisy when it comes to rolling the hose back up.Wish I was organized like you :) Neat snake pic.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got some rest Skeeter --and Tina sounds like you had a great day --garden time for you is always something that makes you happy:0) I'm sure Mr. Fixit and the kiddos had a great time on the lake today --it was a nice day. My hubby had to work all day so the kiddos helped me WEED the front yard, went for a bike ride while I walked lil bundle and then went for a swim. A super day if you ask me:0) Now, if I could only get them to weed the back --I guess a mommy can dream??? hahaha Night!
ReplyDeleteA big hello to Jean, Dawn, Lola and Nina -hey GIRLS!!! Have a super week:0)
I was the worst for leaving the hose on the lawn and knocking down plants with it. This year I moved the hose out of the garden and bought a big metal hose reel. It's working out really well but those big hose reels cost an arm and a leg. I almost didn't bother.
ReplyDeleteskeeter,
ReplyDeletewhy is it that blogger won't let us drag a picture anymore...i find to very aggrevating too. it used to be so easy to add another picture or just rearrange.
yes i roll up our long connections of hoses 4 are attached to each other for our various backyard gardens. then another on the side and one in the front. i want irrigation so bad.
Yes, I always roll them. But I hate doing it since they are so hard to handle. We have only one water spigot on our house so I have to put a few hose together sometimes when I have to get around the house. There's only one way around the house since the garage is built all the way up to the hedge so that it's unpossible to go that way. Mostly I use water cans instead when I have to water the pots on in that area / gittan
ReplyDeleteThe latest commets seem to favor rolling up the hose! I asked the Saint what he thought the majority would be on this issue and he said most will NOT roll the hose each time after watering! He was on the money but as me, likes the hose rolled up.
ReplyDeleteGoing to be a HOT one in GA today! Weatherman says sticky so if he says that, it is really going to be a bad one in the yard so I may opt out again today. I dont like sticky days unless in a pool!
Ho-ho-hose! A lot of people have things to say about hoses! I'm sometimes sloppy about my hose, especially in the front garden, where the grass (such as it is) occasionally gets a snakey hose tattoo. That one's less convenient to put away. Must investigate a winder. Also, I have a soaker hose embedded in the front (which I sometimes forget to turn off).
ReplyDeleteA post about hoses and about snakes. Hmmm. Don't try to pick up one thinking it's the other, now!
I'm terrible about rolling up my garden hose. I keep meaning to be better about it, but my first goal is to just keep my plants alive! Love that snake!
ReplyDeleteOh, Skeeter, thanks for the reminder I told my neighbors across the street I'd put the hose away after a few days of watering the newly planted veggies. That was before all this rain that has made the hose unneeded for awhile. It goes across the yard and driveway, and they have to step over it whenever they come and go. It doesn't go over grass, though. I should wind that up today. It's actually 2 hoses together, so the one unhooked will stay in the garden area. I should put it in a circle or something. Just yesterday, my husband, Larry asked me if I want something to wind the garden area hose on over there. LOL
ReplyDeleteAt home, Larry has a need for them to be wound, so I do it half the time, and he does it the other half.
This was one of those posts where I read all the comments. What fun! I think my garter snakes look less scary than your water snake, as they aren't as big.
Oh, and I hope your back is still feeling better.
ReplyDeleteAfter I finish watering in the morning at the nursery, which takes about 2.5 hours. I have to roll up the hose. And I can easily understand how tiring it is to do that. After all a few hundred feet of hose is nothing to scoff at.
ReplyDeleteI have to roll up my hose at the condo also, since it is community property. Sometimes I just sigh, and wish for one of those automatic rollers.....
Jen
Helen, We have a newer hose that is black with a yellow streak down the side. When I had it out with water sprinkler hooked up the squirrels would not go near it thinking it was a snake! It does look like a snake and scares me so it does not stay out too long. I dont need anything startling me when I have the real ones near by to do that. lol. We have lots of limbs on the ground in the woods from winds and they resemble snakes also so I fear picking up a snake instead of a limb when the time comes to play Pick-up sticks…
ReplyDeleteMeredith, I am also having an issue with keeping things alive right now! The heat is coming on strong and no rain for a while. We need rain on our garden! I have lost a few things and fear more in the days to come if we don’t get some rain and soon…
Sue, this was a fun post to read comments on wasn't it? My hubby even asked what the outcome was since he does not read any comments on the blogs. I found it most fun to see what everyone does in their gardens with their hoses. Hose's can be such a pain. It is a wonder with so many of them out there, someone has not invented the perfect hose for gardeners!
Jen, it takes me about two hours to water all my gardens if done by hand also. So it is a pain in the arms, legs, back and butt to roll up the hose afterwards but I do. Sigh, where is the winning lottery ticket for the underground watering system?
Thanks for all your comments, this one has been fun to follow!