What Are Hose Pots?

Hose pots are a type of hose holder that resembles a flower pot or urn.  Most hose pots are made of stoneware or a sturdy resin to withstand adverse weather conditions and provide years of use.  There are a wide variety of styles and sizes to choose from so you are sure to find one that will look perfect in your yard.

There are many ways to use hose pots. Some people prefer to put one right by the faucet so the hose is always handy. This is a great choice if you have a water faucet in an obvious location and a traditional hose reel might look out of place. A hose pot will blend nicely with the landscape and no one will be able to tell there is a garden hose inside the beautiful pot! Some hose pots come with lids and that will make it even easier to conceal the hose.

Another handy way to use hose pots is to scatter them throughout the yard. It is tough to drag a hose around the yard to do all the watering, but if you place hose pots around you will always have a hose handy. So, instead of dragging 200 foot hose to the flower beds, you can drag a 50 foot hose to the hose pot that contains a 150 foot hose and get the job done!

Hose pots generally have drainage holes in the bottom so you don't have to worry about leaky hoses filling up the pot with water. Many also have a hole near the bottom to thread one end of the hose through. This makes it nice when you are hooking a hose that you have brought from the faucet.  If you get a pot with a lid, most have a hole in the lid to thread the other end of the hose through.

Hose pots are a very attractive way to store the extra garden hose you need in your yard. They are functional and beautiful at the same time.  Two or three hose pots scattered in your yard will make watering a lot simpler!

Buy hose pots:

	Easy Use Premium Herbal Vaporizer with Digital display (Black)

	Bayou Classic SP10 High-Pressure Outdoor Gas Cooker, Propane

	Applica Clear 2O Water Pitcher #CWS100A

	Mabis Steam Inhaler

However, there are a few basics that everyone should understand before they start to garden. They are soil, exposure, and climate. If you understand how these three things work in your garden, you will be on your way to growing a bountiful crop of delicious fruits and vegetables!

Garden Tips

Soil – there are different types of soil, some are primarily clay and others are primarily sand. What you want is a good mix of the two, or a sandy loam soil.  Sandy loam will allow for good drainage, but it will also hold enough moisture to keep the plants healthy.  It also is light enough that air and nutrients can get in, but not so light that everything drains quickly away.

If your soil is too sandy or has too much clay, you can amend it so that it will be perfect for growing a garden.  By adding organic material to any soil you will help it become a healthy blend for gardening. For clay soil you will want to work sand and peat moss in so it will be able to drain adequately. Sandy soils need to have organic material such as aged manure and compost added. As you add the organic material you will begin to see the soil becoming healthier.

Exposure – one of the most vital things a garden needs is lots of sunlight. For that reason you want to position your garden so it gets the most sun exposure possible.  Keep it away from buildings and trees that may shade it if possible. You will also want to plant larger plants such as corn and sunflowers on the north or east so they won’t shade the smaller plants during the day.

While you are thinking about exposure, if you live in an area that gets heavy winds you may want to consider shelter for your garden. This could be a wall or a fence along the north or east side of the garden. Most damaging winds come from the north so protection on this side is a good idea. Even a sturdy row of corn or sunflowers can help protect the more tender plants.

Climate – every plant will not grow everywhere. This is something to remember when you are planting your garden. Climate plays a big part in how well things grow. Climate controls the length of the growing season as well, so if something takes 180 days to grow and your growing season is 160 days it is best not to plant it.  If you are new to the area, ask your neighbors or the local garden center what grows best in the area. That way you won’t get your hopes up for something that just won’t grow well.

Anyone can grow a beautiful and bountiful garden. Pay attention to the three things mentioned and you will be on your way to becoming a successful gardener!

More information on growing a great garden:

	Home Vegetable Gardening: A Complete and Practical Guide to the Planting and Care of all Vegetables, Fruits and Berries Worth Growing for Home Use (Illustrated Edition)

	Home Vegetable Gardening -a Complete and Practical Guide to the Planting and Care of All Vegetables, Fruits and Berries Worth Growing for Home Use

	Gardening Basics For Dummies®, Mini Edition

	All New Square Foot Gardening

What is Indoor Hydroponic Gardening?

Indoor hydroponic gardening is a system of gardening where the plants grow in a nutrient solution with no soil.  Usually people assume that hydroponics is using only water to grow the plants, but in truth the liquid the plants grow in is a mixture of fertilizers to feed the plants. The liquid that sustains the plants doesn’t evaporate very quickly or run off like in traditional gardens. This makes indoor hydroponic gardening a great choice for drought stricken areas or people who don’t have access to a garden.

When you start indoor hydroponic gardening, you will need some type of medium to hold the plants and roots. This can be gravel, sand, or some type of fibers.  Since these mediums do not contain any nutrients, you will use the hydroponic system to deliver nutrients directly to the roots of the plants. This is usually done with a pump and a timer.  In addition, since the feeding takes place at the roots the plants will not put effort into growing an elaborate root system to find nutrients. Instead, that energy is put into growing lush foliage and produce.

There are many commercial products you can use for your nutrient mix. As indoor hydroponic gardening grows in popularity, more and more garden centers are carrying products to support it.  These nutrients come in liquid or powder form and are easy to mix and apply.  It is possible to feed a hydroponic garden with and organic, homemade solution. However, these types of solutions tend to be thicker and can plug up the pump system.

When it comes to light for indoor hydroponic gardening, make sure you have adequate light for the type of plant you are growing.  If you have a window that gets a lot of sun throughout the day that may be adequate. However, many gardeners choose to supplement their natural light with grow lights. This will ensure that your plants get plenty of light to grow strong and produce abundantly!

A hydroponic garden is a great way to have delicious vegetables all year. In addition, you can grow exotic plants and flowers in this type of system as well.  Once you have tried it and learn the basics, you may never use soil again!

More information on indoor hydroponic gardening:

	How to Build and Take Care of a Hydroponics Garden "Learn the Easiest Way to Build Your Own System, the Right Types of Vegetables to Grow and Tips on Caring For Your Plants"

	Hydroponic Basics: The Basics of Soilless Gardening Indoors

	Gardening Indoors with Soil & Hydroponics

	Aquaponic Gardening: A Step-By-Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together

Types of Garden Hose Container

Hose pots are designed to look like a flower pot. They come in a wide variety of designs, sizes and materials. Most garden hose containers have a holes at the bottom for drainage and an entry point close to the bottom to thread the garden hose through. You then coil your hose into the pot where it is contained nice and neat.

One of the best things about a garden hose container, is they allow you to store additional hose throughout your yard. If you have a large yard and don't like dragging hundreds of feet of hose from the house, simply put one of these containers at different locations throughout the yard. Then you can take your main garden hose and hook it to the one in the garden hose pot when you need it. The containers are so attractive it will be a beautiful addition to your landscape and no one will know it is really a garden hose container!

One of the most popular choices in a garden hose container is the CobraCo Bird Motif Copper Finish Hose Holder. This container is a hit with consumers and most of the people who reviewed it state the fact that it has a lid as the selling point. This garden hose container is made of embossed metal with a powdered coated copper finish. It also has an attractive green patina applied for an aged look. The reason consumers like this hose pot is not only the lid, which helps protect the hose from sun damage, but the fact that it is very heavy duty. This pot is made to last and many consumers have purchased more than one because of their satisfaction with this garden hose container.

Another favorite garden hose container is the Suncast Resin Wicker Garden Hose Pot with 80-Foot Hose Capacity . This hose pot is made by Suncast who are a trusted name in garden hose storage. This pot is made of resin, but it looks like a wicker basket. Consumers who reviewed this pot recommend using a flexible hose or even a coiled hose in this pot because of the small storage space inside.

These are just a couple of choices when it comes to finding a great garden hose container. This type of hose storage is attractive and very popular with homeowners.

Buy a Garden Hose Container:

	Akro-Mils RZGH210A34 Garden Hose Pot, Sandstone, 21-Inch

	Suncast WHP80 Resin Wicker Garden Hose Pot with 80-Foot Hose Capacity (Hose Not Included)

	Liberty Garden Products 1915 Egyptian Garden Hose Pot - Antique

	Suncast PHJ100M Garden Hose Reel Hideaway with 100-Foot Hose Capacity

Hydroponic gardening is well practiced these days especially in Japan, where land for planting crops is extremely limited. There were a lot of people during the early years of implementation that were quite surprised to know that plants can actually grow without the aid of soil, many people were even quite skeptical if the process actually worked.  However, hydroponic gardening has now gained popularity because of the amount of soil pollution these days, not to mention the fact that much of the former farmland has now been transformed into subdivisions, shopping malls and golf courses.

In truth, plants are able to grow up to fifty percent more when grown using hydroponic gardening as compared to the conventional soil gardening. This is because plants use up a lot of energy for its roots to burrow deeper into the soil to get more nutrients. In hydroponic gardening, the nutrients are fed directly into the plant roots so the plant can put more energy toward developing the produce.

Hydroponic gardening certainly has a lot of different benefits. One is that, since there is no soil needed, water can be conserved in great amounts, since the nutrients are fed to the roots in its concentrated form. Another is that all the nutrients and water that is used can be recycled. Hydroponics only uses a little over ten percent of the actual amount of water that is needed to grow a conventional garden. In addition, with the increasing decline of farmable land where crops can be grown, hydroponics will only require one fifth of the size of the land area used in conventional gardening to produce the same amount of crops in an entire season.

Although the cost of hydroponic gardening is somewhat a concern for many farmers, growing crops this way is a great option for homeowners and even those who live in small areas. It is possible for people to grow much of their own produce by using hydroponics techniques.  You can find great books at your local library as well as a lot of valuable information online to help set up a hydroponic garden of your own.

Growing your own produce is very rewarding. It is a wonderful feeling to know you are in control of your food from start to finish!

More info on Hydroponic Gardening:

	How to Build and Take Care of a Hydroponics Garden "Learn the Easiest Way to Build Your Own System, the Right Types of Vegetables to Grow and Tips on Caring For Your Plants"

	Hydroponic Basics: The Basics of Soilless Gardening Indoors

	Gardening Indoors with Soil & Hydroponics

	Aquaponic Gardening: A Step-By-Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together

When first introduced, flat hoses were sold through late night infomercials and ads. The commercials showed people wrestling with standard hoses while the flat hose would roll up neatly. Of course people were skeptical, after all conventional garden hoses had been around for a long time why change that? But as consumers started to try them out, flat garden hoses caught one.

One of the biggest sellers of a flat garden hose is the fact that it is so easy to store! Unlike conventional hose reels, the reels that store these hoses are compact and lightweight.  In fact, you can easily carry the rolled hose from place to place with ease.  The small size and light weight make these hoses the perfect choice for people with small yards, senior citizens, and well, just about anyone!

Today you can find flat garden hoses at almost any garden center and large retail center. They have become so popular that they are now mainstream and made by many manufacturers. Is one right for you?

Buy Flat Garden Hose:

	Dryer Vent Vacuum Cleaner Attachment

	AR Blue Clean AR383 1,900 PSI 1.5 GPM 14 Amp Electric Pressure Washer with Hose Reel

	FoodSaver V2460 Advanced Design Vacuum Food Sealer

After you water your lawn and plants, you will be able to reel your hose back in with ease. Most hose reels come with manual cranks on the side which you can use to pull the hose in. Nobody likes to have to untangle a garden hose after it has been lying on the ground in a messy pile for days or even weeks on end, which is why you will need one of these. Make certain that you know exactly how many feet of hose it can hold, because you don’t want to get one that isn’t big enough for how long your garden hose is at home.

There should also be a watertight connection between the hose itself and the reel. Anyone who plans on purchasing a wall mount house reel needs to take into account the overall design, because that is going to be important when it comes to just how efficient it is. Since there are a variety of hose reel designs, you should make it a point to look around and spend some time browsing through all of the options you have. The internet is a great place to go when you need to buy just about anything, including these.

Finding a good price on a wall mount hose reel is important as well. You will be able to avoid getting ripped off or overpaying by comparing prices from various stores or even websites. The more time you spend looking through different ones, the better of a deal you will end up getting on the one you buy. Remember that the size of the hose reel itself is important. You will also want to know what you are doing when it comes to mounting it to the wall. Make sure you follow detailed instructions on how to do it so you put your wall mount hose reel up right the first time!

Here are some great all mount hose reels to choose from:

	Hoover L2310 GUV 10 Amp 5-Gallon Garage Utility Vacuum

	Rapid Reel Wall Mount Garden Hose Reel Model #1041-GH

	Liberty Garden Products Decorative Non-Rust Cast Aluminum Wall Mounted Garden Hose Reel With 125-Foot Capacity - Antique Finish 704

Having a place to store your hose while still having it handy to use is important. You don't want and unsightly pile of garden hose on the ground beneath the faucet! In addition, having the hose on the ground will damage plants, get the hose muddy, and provide a place for pests to nest. None of those things are very good! So lets get that hose up off the ground and neatly stored so it is handy for you to use! A garden hose hanger will get the job done right!

We will take a look at a few different options for a quality garden hose hanger. Some of them will mount on your home or shed, near the water faucet. Others are freestanding and you can put them where it is most convenient for your watering needs. All the products we will look at are highly rated by consumers at Amazon.com so you know you are getting a product that is tried and tested!

First of all we will look at the Ames True Temper Decorative Wall Mount Metal Hose Hanger 2392400.  . This is a typical, wall mount garden hose hanger with a beautiful bronze finish and decorative design. It is made of rust resistant material to give you years of use. Consumers like the fact that this is a nice looking hose holder, yet it is sturdy too! It mounts simply with two screws and it will hold up to 100 feet of garden hose. This nice looking garden hose hanger will not disappoint and at under $15 it is a bargain as well!

Next we will look at a stand alone hose storage option. The Ames True Temper Decorative Free Standing Metal Hose Hanger 2392100 is the stand alone version of the garden hose hanger mentioned above. It has the same decorative design, but it is made to put out in the garden or elsewhere in your yard. It comes fully assembled and it is easy to install.Simply put the pointed base into the soil - you may need to soften the soil first with water. After the base is firmly in the garden attach the garden hose hanger to the base and tighten the screws. Now you have a nice hanger to store your garden hose that is close to where you use it!

There are also stand alone hose hangers that have an attached faucet as well. The Yard Butler HCF-3 Free Standing Garden Hose Hanger with Faucet is a great example of a garden hose hanger with a faucet attached. This hose holder allows you to add another faucet to your yard without hiring someone to do it for you! There are a couple of ways to install this hanger. You can either dig a hole, center the post in the hole and pour in quick setting concrete. Or you can slide it over a fencing 't' post.  Of course you will need to run a hose to the garden hose hanger to get water to it, but if you want you could dig a trench and run a piece of pvc pipe through it and insert your hose.  That way you will only have a short expanse of hose sticking up by the holder. This might not work in areas that get a deep freeze because you will need to drain the hose during the winter to prevent breakage. However, if you use an air compressor to blow all the water out of the hose you should be fine. Another option is to use decorative hose guides to guide the garden hose through your yard the way you would like.

There are many options when it comes to finding a great garden hose hanger. No matter if you choose a wall mount or free standing hose holder, you will find that you hose stays stored neatly and conveniently!

Buy a Garden Hose Hanger:

	SF-510 SteamFast Everyday Fabric Steamer

	Liberty Garden Products Decorative Non-Rust Cast Aluminum Wall Mounted Garden Hose Reel With 125-Foot Capacity - Antique Finish 704

	Suncast Garden Hose Hangout, Taupe HH150

There are a lot of choices when it comes to finding the perfect garden hose reel cart for your needs. Hose reel carts come in a variety of designs and sizes. We will look at some hose reel carts that are highly rated by consumers.

First of all we will look at the Yard Butler 2-Wheeled Garden Hose Truck with 200-Foot Hose Capacity. This heavy duty garden hose reel cart will hold up to 200 feet of 5/8 inch hose. With an anti rust finish, this two wheeled garden hose cart will give you years of service!

Next we have the Liberty Garden Products 880-2 Industrial 2 Wheel Solid Garden Hose Reel Cart - Bronze. With heavy duty construction and 10" pneumatic tires this hose holder is a great addition to any garden. This garden hose reel cart will hold up to 300 feet of 5/8 inch hose and it has a small basket to hold sprinkler nozzles and small garden tools. Consumers love the durability and how easy it is to pull around the yard.

Also from Liberty, the Liberty Garden Products 872-2 Residential 350-Foot Capacity Four Wheel Steel Garden Hose Reel Cart Green is very similar to the garden hose reel cart above, except it has four tires instead of two. Here is the description from the manufacturer:
Our Liberty Garden Residential 4 Wheel Garden Hose Reel Cart keeps your hose neat and ready to use when you need it. It holds 350-feet of 5/8-inch hose, it features 8-inch pneumatic tires, 90 degree swivel to help prevent hose damage, a non-slip handle for easy moving. It comes completely assembled.

Finally, we will look at the Ames True Temper Reeleasy Hose Reel Cart 2386275. This garden hose reel cart from Ames is made of heavy duty poly material for durability. This product is a favorite of consumers for the how easy it is to pull around the yard and the clean design. Here is a review of this product from Amazon.com:
This hose reel cart is the workhorse of the Ames line. Its sturdy construction gives it a solid feel, and its wide base stabilizes the hose-reeling action. It rolls relatively smoothly, and the crank turns well, though the low height of the crank makes it less comfortable to use while standing. There are some nice features that make this Reel Easy a good choice. Plastic notches hold loose hose ends and are easier to use than the snaps on other reel carts. There's a deep storage well that can accommodate weeding tools, garden gloves, a sandwich, and a cold drink. And the top handle can fold down, enabling easy storage, though the mechanism that releases the handle can be a bit stiff to operate. Best of all, however, is the happy fact that this item comes preassembled, and that feature is worth a lot.

When it comes to finding the perfect garden hose reel cart for your needs you don't have to look very far. There are many different carts on the market so there is sure to be one that fits your gardening needs.

Buy a Garden Hose Reel Cart:

	Rapid Reel Wall Mount Garden Hose Reel Model #1041-GH

	Ames True Temper 2388100 65-Foot Cassette Hose King Reel

	Claber 8583 Koala Indoor Faucet to Garden Hose Connector

	Liberty Garden Products Decorative Non-Rust Cast Aluminum Wall Mounted Garden Hose Reel With 125-Foot Capacity - Antique Finish 704

A typical garden hose timer for your  hooks up to the faucet and allows you to set the amount of time you want the water to run for. You can get timers that are very basic and simple to run. Simply turn a dial that is similar to a kitchen timer and turn on the water. Other hose timers are more sophisticated and let you choose the time of day and duration. Some timers even let you program multiple watering cycles. You can get a single or dual garden hose timer so you can make sure your entire watering needs are taken care of! We will take a look at some garden hose timers that are the highest rated with consumers.

First of all we will look at a basic hose timer. The GardenSmith 577411 2-Hour Mechanical Water Timer is a very simple garden hose timer with a dial that you can set for up to two hours. Consumers really like the ease of use, plus it really helps people who forget to turn off their sprinklers! Many users commented that this little $15 item has saved them thousands on their water bill! If all you want is to be able to turn on the water and forget it than this timer is the one for you. It is inexpensive, easy to use and gives you great peace of mind!

Next we will look at a couple of the electronic sprinkler timers that are available on the market. First of all we will look at the Orbit 62001 Lawn and Garden Digital Watering Timer. This garden hose timer has received an average of 4.5 stars from 70 customers on Amazon.com. This electronic sprinkler timer is battery operated and allows you to program your sprinkler with ease. The control panel is removable so you can take it out, program it and put it back. No straining your back to bend over the garden faucet! Consumers like the fact that it is very durable and dependable. A fresh set of batteries can last the entire season with this garden hose timer as well.

Next we will look at a dual garden hose timer. The Claber 8410 Aquadue Duplo Dual Hose Water Timer has many features that gardeners will love. In addition to allowing you to connect two hoses, you can program each of those hoses to run up to three times per day. The simple programming system of this dual garden hose timer allows you to program daily and weekly watering intervals. In addition to being a great watering tool, you can also add a Claber Automatic Rain Sensor for Aquadue Duplo Water Timer 90915 to complete this watering system. The rain sensor will shut down the watering system when rain water in it's collector reaches 2 ounces. Once the water evaporates, your normal watering system will resume. This feature is a real water saver and is very helpful if you are away from home when a storm comes in.

As you can see, there are many different choices when it comes to getting a garden hose timer. But no doubt there is a timer that is perfect for your garden irrigation needs. Every gardener should have one!

Buy a Garden Hose Timer:

	Contech CRO101 Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler

	Orbit 91213 One-Dial Garden Hose Digital Water Timer

	Orbit 62001 Lawn and Garden Digital Watering Timer