I haven't needed to water except for transplants it has rained so much. I have a soaker hose running thru the daylily plateau in my backyard and this spring had planned to put a soaker hose into the new terrace in the front yard but it never stopped raining so I didn't need it this year. Otherwise, I just drag the hose around and stand there and water.

I haven't needed to water except for transplants it has rained so much. I have a soaker hose running thru the daylily plateau in my backyard and this spring had planned to put a soaker hose into the new terrace in the front yard but it never stopped raining so I didn't need it this year. Otherwise, I just drag the hose around and stand there and water.

I haven't needed to water except for transplants it has rained so much. I have a soaker hose running thru the daylily plateau in my backyard and this spring had planned to put a soaker hose into the new terrace in the front yard but it never stopped raining so I didn't need it this year. Otherwise, I just drag the hose around and stand there and water.

Oh geez, sorry for the triple posting but I kept getting a server error saying the message was not posted.

Lol! I thought you really, really wanted us to know what it is you do! JK. I drag the hose around the yard, point spray nozzle towards flowers and squeeze. I don't mind hand watering, most of the time, except for dragging the dang hose around. It gives me lots of time to think about what I need or should do in that bed, examine the plants to see how they are doing and figure out how I can squeeze a few more plants in there.

Karen

I love my watering method, and it helps prevent "upper arm jiggle", I scoop up water from the lake, two 5 gallon buckets at a time and then carry the buckets to the flower beds, after about 8 times, I feel I have sufficiently watered and exercised too!!! Of course the beds closest to the lake get the most!!. Then when it's been really dry, then I lower a pump that is in a bucket into the lake, ( the bucket is so that the pump doesn't suck up the sand, and mud from the bottom) then I get out the extension cords, and two hoses put together that have a sprinkler on them and let it run for 4 hours or so. I do have to move the sprinklers after every 20 to 30 minutes, the bucket method just seems easier and quicker some times rather than getting out the pump. But I feel fortunate to have the water source so close. Most of my neighbors use pumps that are lowered into the lake to water their lawns or gardens. I have used the pump twice this summer, I also have a rain barrel that I empty out using the buckets again. The rain barrel is closer to the beds on the other side of the house so they get the rain water usually rather than the lake water. I have noted that the rain barrel was empty for some time earlier this summer and it is empty now. An inch of rain a week will fill the rain barrel. I have been watering more this summer, in hopes of getting rebloom, plus we don't always get the inch of rain per week.
Cindy

If I have to give them additional water, I have to move the rain gauge around to make sure I give them adequate water. I have purchased a Rain-bird elevated sprinkler, but haven't had to use it yet.
kay

I too, drag the hose around and water.I don't mind the watering.I like being outside in the evening.The part I do mind is dragging that heavy hose around and it kinks and I have to keep going and getting the kink out of it.

Jean

We are desert here. If you don't have an automatic sprinkler system for your yard, you don't have a yard or gardens.

When that isn't working (like now when the town is doing construction in front of my house & pumping the aquafer dry) I have to drag hoses around.

At my display garden on a community garden plot, they have a much more efficient way to water. They have a large (8") pvc pipe down the length of the entire garden space. This is equipped with cutouts that have slide valves. On watering days they have ditch irrigation water that comes in to fill the pipe and then you open the slide valves and the water pours out into the rows. Planting is done in raised beds in between each water outlet so that it creates a "flood" type of field watering. You dont' have to worry about the time of day (daylily flowers won't get wet) and it doesn't evaporate before hitting the ground.

I intend to recreate that as I move the plants to a closer location.

Right now I only have two options. Run sprinklers or drag a hose around and water by hand. I don't mind a little watering, it can be quite relaxing. But I have way too many plants growing in containers so it's taking me hours upon hours to water every dry day we have. All this watering is taking the fun right out of it. I don't recommend growing so much in pots. You'll become a slave in no time. :-(
My dream is to get everything planted in the ground and in raised beds, then have soaker hoses laid out that I can turn on when needed.

Since our rain abruptly stops here for two months I must water almost everything. It does get really really old. I have some soaker hoses, some sprinklers, some on drip system but I end up doing much more by hand than I'd like....

I've been watering the newly planted daylilies by hand.

Cindy- I like your method of pumping water from the lake the best. I do love your backyard.

Ditto Jean ar. Ditto, ditto...:(

When I water I drag around 5 gallon buckets of water reclaimed from the dehumidifier in the basement. I do very little supplemental watering except for my seedlings and newly planted cultivars. We have a temperamental well and only use the water we have to use for daily activities like laundry, washing, drinking, and so forth. Within the past 5 years there have been 7-8 new houses put up in the field across the street from us. All are pulling from the same weak aquifer and not all of them are as responsible as us with our water usage. That's not to say the well will run dry but digging a new well is a HUGE expense we cannot afford to take on. Plants in my garden have to be able to thrive on what mother nature gives them or they just don't stay here very long. No prima donnas here he he.
They gotta be tough as nails.

Kim