Let's talk about money. Each year I try to curb my expensive addiction to gardening. I have spent hundreds of dollars each spring, excited to fill my cart with plants and accessories, the latest gadgets, cute solar lights that last a season or two, (if even that long) the bags of compost, mulch and potting mixes, high-priced organic varieties. I troll the home and garden shows and shop online. Garden shopping season started in February and didn't end until Black Friday!
Building and maintaining a garden can get pricey, but it doesn't have to. Creating my own compost pile with coffee grounds, grass cuttings, fallen leaves and vegetable scraps has been rewarding as I contribute less to the landfills and a free way to nurture my garden.
In the past, I bought all of my plants. I recall spending over $15 on a flowering tomato plant at a fancy nursery, which gets expensive when you plant 6 or 7. Now I enjoy buying heirloom seeds and starting all of my plants indoors. I even have seedlings to share with friends! To take it a step further, now I collect seeds for the following year.
Buying new straw bales each year replaces the need to buy mulch, compost and potting mix to add to my garden beds. See my related posts on straw bale gardening for more info.
Last fall, I drained my hoses, curled them up and put them in my $30 plastic bushel baskets. I marked the holes with duct tape, thinking I would learn how to repair my beloved old rubber hoses. As I drag my summertime accessories up from the basement and organize my garage, I realized it was time to invest in new hoses, and so the research began....
THE QUEST FOR THE BEST GARDEN HOSE
I was on a mission to find the best hose to purchase. Talking to other gardeners, everyone seemed to have the same complaints. "If you buy a cheap hose, you'll have a very kinky summer".
We're all sick of buying worthless products, especially expensive and worthless.
Quality rubber hoses are heavy and pricey, they kink over time, never bounce back and begin to leak.
I checked out online reviews, and consulted professionals. I wanted to make a great investment, not just another thing to end up in the landfill in 2 years. I settled upon the Flexzilla 75 footer at Menards for $49.99 and the Big Boss X Hose Pro 50' expandable hose from Home Depot for $35.42. Clearly marked "As Seen on TV", as if that should give it credibility!
The X Hose arrived first. It was obvious that this was not the solution by itself, I struggled to reach my destination with this lightweight variety. Turning it off at the nozzle to move from plant to plant and to the far reaches of my yard was a wet mess. It wanted to recoil and was leaking from the nozzle. I had bought several of these flexible types in the past and the couplings blew off within a few times of using them, so I was excited to see that the X Hose had brass fittings and a stabilizer collar to hold on to. I have high expectations after reading reviews, after all it has Dracon Woven Fibers, whatever that means!
The Flexzilla was striking, soft, pliable and neon green. It felt like a dream in my hand and slide through the grass like a graceful snake. The first time you unwind it, can be a bit tricky and I had to untangle it but once we got that straightened out it has great flow and doesn't feel as heavy as my old rubber standby. The swivel grip is a nice feature, providing a good grip and stability at the fittings.
Long ago, I stopped buying fancy nozzles that would only last a year. I rarely need an intense jet stream, unless I am washing the siding or patio. My everyday nozzle is a gentle shower attached with a simple shut off valve. Simple and straightforward with less parts to break, leak or malfunction. You can get this set up for less than $10. I like all brass or metal and try to avoid plastic. These are harder to find, but once you do, it should last for years.
Although I haven't used the new hose set up much yet, I will tell you, I am a huge fan of the Flexzilla, Due to the weight and hassle, I tend to leave my hose spread across the lawn all summer, except on mowing days.
I'll post back once summer gets underway, I think we will have freezing temps again, so I better go drain and unhook those new babies. I want them to last a long time!
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UPDATE: The dog days of summer have arrived and I still LOVE the Flexilla. I mean LOVE.
I wished I bought a shorter flexible X- hose, 25 foot vs 75 foot. It's too long to maintain pressure and always wants to recoil on me. It's also subject to tying itself in knots. (I'm sure I have nothing to do with that ; ) I rarely use it because it's actually frustrating. It works best when the end of the Flexilla is close by.
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