Smarter Irrigation For Raised Garden Beds

There are a lot of positives to planting your own garden, not the least of which is the enjoyment of growing your own food and flowers. There are some challenges that can come from limitations in space, soil quality, and physical issues, all of which can be overcome with a raised bed garden.

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The Rise Of Raised Bed Gardening

Raised bed gardening has become a growing trend in recent years. With many people looking to have more control over where their food comes from, more are turning to gardening and with that, there comes an issue with space for many people. That’s where raised bed gardens come in. Whether in small residential areas where there can be issues with homeowners association with regulations on garden types and sizes, or other small space concerns, a raised bed garden is a very appealing idea. Many raised bed gardens are visually appealing and give a vibe of being more aesthetically pleasing than an open ground garden. Not to mention that for those with physical issues, a raised bed garden may be far more accessible than a ground-level garden. It is easy to see the appeal.

One of the issues that can arise from a raised bed garden is that most of these setups focus on drip or soaker hoses. This leads to a series of connecting hoses between the garden boxes, which can make getting around them more difficult. It can also be less aesthetically pleasing to look at, depending upon the hose color and size. And of course we can’t overlook that if the beds are in an HOA neighborhood, someone might take offense to the appeal of hoses laying in a yard. It actually leads to another issue of hose access and storage.

A Tangled Web We Weave

If you have a pile of hose laying in the yard, it makes it more difficult to access the hose for other uses. Plus, keeping your lawn mowed means moving and repositioning the hose every time you come through that area. There is one thing that is certain, though, and that is unless you have your garden hose carefully wound up, you will have a tangled mess of hose. Tangled hoses are not only annoying and unsightly, but also they pose the threat of kinking, which can be frustrating to deal with and cause premature wear and tear on your hose.

Another issue is with the plants themselves. Different plants require different amounts of water for optimal growth. A cucumber plant will require more water than green beans, and a watermelon plant will need more than both put together. The use of a soaker hose doesn’t work in this scenario as you have the same amount of water going to the soil for everything. This means that something will be getting over/under watered every time.

Professional landscapers that use raised bed flower gardens as part of the plan are also keenly aware of the aesthetics of garden hoses and keeping the appearances as perfect as possible. The same issue of under/over watering for select flowers is the same as it is for vegetable gardens, too. The solution is the use of a reeled hose.

Retractable Hoses

The easiest way to have quick and clean access to a hose for watering your raised bed garden is through a retractable hose reel, such as a Giraffe Retractable Garden Hose Reel. Giraffe gives you two options with a wall-mounted reel and a stand-alone ground mount reel.

The wall-mounted option lets you mount a reel box on your home, shed, or even to the garden box depending upon how big it is. You then simply connect the reeled hose to the water spigot and you’re in business. The key is to mount the reel close to the spigot and in a space that is out of the way, making it visually appealing, and still highly useful. The Giraffe unit is available in lengths from 65-155 feet, allowing you to mount it a decent distance from your raised garden boxes and still allow you to reach them and water the plants as needed and in the manner that best suits the plants needs.

The ground reel gives you similar options for spigots that are stand alone and away from a structure. It gives you options between 82 and 130 feet in hose length and keeps your yard looking clean and free of tangled hoses.

Both of the Giraffe hose reels are fully retractable, meaning the hose gets coiled back into the reel after use. In other words, no more hoses laying freely about your yard, causing issues with mowing, or those pesky HOA standards. Both reels have hoses pre rolled onto the reel with a hand sprayer attached for ease of use.

Need something a little beefier? Perhaps you have a bigger raised bed system, or need to use a sprinkler that requires a little heavier duty hose? Giraffe has a solution with its Stainless Steel Hose Ree l. This wall-mount reel holds up to 100 feet of heavy-duty hose, which can be bought with the reel, and has a self-guiding spool for even spooling of the hose as you reel it in. This is a professional-grade hose reel that looks great and gets the job done, making it easier for you to care for your raised bed garden, lawn or other landscaping and growing adventure.

Use of a hose reel reduces yard clutter, reduces the risks of kinked hoses, or plant damage from moving the hose and the dreaded letter from the HOA telling you to take care of your unfettered garden hose. No one wants that. Whether you need a lighter duty hose to water your plants, or a heavy-duty hose for more serious projects like sprinklers or washing the car, a professional quality hose reel, like those offered by Giraffe, makes things greener and more enjoyable.

NOTE: This is sponsored content produced in partnership with Giraffe Tools