Watering gardens

Ahh. Got to play in the yard today with the hoses! Yup, fiddling with the "irrigation plan" again. Bought a couple brass 4-way thingys (bench press those suckers--they're heavy!) so I don't have to move sprinklers around. Also snagged some soaker and sprinkler hoses at a garage sale for a couple of bucks, tested them today and by golly, they don't leak! Hooray! I had fun .

BTW, does anyone know a source for sprinkler edging? I'm talking about the kind sold in 25' rolls, not the dinky, leaky, pound-in kind. Years ago at a bankruptcy sale for a local hardware chain I scored some, and haven't seen it since. It has a removable cap at one end to flush.

We are no longer allowed to water outside ,unless it's grey water or rain water, despite the recent rains we are still in drought with only 30% capacity.So mother nature has to care for all the new seedlings (although I can water them with bath water and a watering can.)I think things should be ok.We have had no cloud cover for about 10 days now and the night is dropping to zero celsius and below in some parts.My GD only recently saw her first puddle and may never get to see a sprinkler at this rate.
So my response to your post is lucky you I can only dream of being easily able to water my garden.

One of my problems isn't watering enough outside. I guess I should invest in sprinklers and soakers.

I love the soaker hoses. We have a lot of minerals in our water and if the water hits the house it leaves a stain. With the soaker hoses the flower beds by the house gets watered good and my house stays white!

I have to get me some soaker hoses this weekend.

I turned half of the garage orange (rust)
Dh wasn't to impressed Anybody know how to clean it off???

I ripped out about 500 foot of soakers hoses last week on a job...I don't really need what can't be use by some one else but really thought about bringing them home..it was a flip this garden..but at work water is abundent, too much that fungus grows mostly where sprinker head hit. My pet peave in life is dragging darn leaky hoses around..I'm so nuts with them. I have found one of the best hoses that leaks too but is so light..it has a plastic linner inside a clothe woven shell. I wish they can make it so it can be replaced, the inner...There are better things to do with rubber tires than make hoses. It hasn't be problem solved yet. Today I cursed a rotor plastic sprinler watering sod at work...it will never last being jammed into soil that really needs water. I expect every sprinkler and hose I pick up not perfect, at least all season long. How long have you had a hair drier..more women need to speak up as consumers.

I don't know if it would work or not, jennie, but I'd try 'Iron Out'. It is suppose to remove rust stains.

Donna, sorry, I didn't think about those who can't take water for granted. I didn't mean to rub it in. Isn't it interesting that as gardeners, there is some perennial germ of optimism that keeps us planting even in the harshest of conditions? We keep searching for a way to make stuff grow. As for taking out rust stains, what kind of siding material is on your garage--it makes a difference as to what product you use.

Happy Gardening.
Wingdesigner

Its vinyl siding. I did take a sponge with just some dish soap out and it worked somewhat. A friend told me to use toilet bowl cleaner???

(wince) Oooh, that might be a little harsh. It could take off the finish, colour, or worse. Plus, if you splash any on yourself or plants it's highly caustic. Better to leave it in the bowl. Look for CLR or Lime-Away, those products are formulated for various surfaces--you'll have to check labels. Ask at local box or home improv., store, too. Rotsa ruck.

Some of my soaker hoses weren't working very well. After 3 to 4 years I thought they were plugged with minerals. I bought some new ones and started checking to see which ones needed replaced and found that 2 of them had sprung leaks so I was able to mend those. The ones under the lilacs were so mineralized that I had to replace them. THAT was a lot of fun! NOT! They were wound around and through hostas, coral bells etc. Some free advise on anyone using soaker hoses....don't cover them with mulch, it may protect them from the sun and look neater but if you develope a leak, you won't know it. And if you need to replace them, do it in the early spring...before your plants are grown up around them.

I thought the same thing when she told me that. I was leaning toward trying the CLR or finding something at the home improvement store. I don't want to harm my plants, grass or siding.

Jennie, we have the same rust problem on our house where the sprinkler hits. Haven't bought anything yet, but DH says he saw a bleach product for power washers that are supposed to work on rust but safe to plants.

OOhhh that would be a good one! Happen to know the name of it??

No, sorry not yet. I'll let you know as soon as I get some.

Thanks Cheryl!
The garage really does look awful with half of it being brown/orange and the other half white
I am investing in some soaker hoses this weekend! We are so close to the Grand River here (right between Saranac and Ionia) our water is horrible