I use wooden stakes strategically placed so the hose doesn't smash plants when it's being dragged. I don't worry about people tripping over hoses because I always role them back up after using. The stakes really blend into the background and are hardly noticeable. In fact, I often walk into them or trip over them because I don't see them. Not fun, but I hate smashed plants.

Kevin

It is the hose guides that people are tripping over, not the hose. And my spigot is positioned in such a way that the hose has to go around furniture, containers, the corners of vegetable beds. I'm not having a problem with plants getting smashed at all. My hose is black rubber and whatever it rubs against leaves a mark. The link shows a photo of the kind of hose guide I'm talking about.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hose Guide

I often use heavy pots strategically placed. Usually I grow dahlias in the pots. Last winter I overwintered the dahlias in the pots. So far they are doing ok.

I have considered the hose guides in some tricky spots but the ground is sloped so usually the hose goes up and hits plants about 8" above ground.

the first rule of gardening is that the hose will always fall where it can do the most damage, so yes i use guides but i put in the edge of the beds here im usually the one who falls over them. i use the dark green plastic with a rotor at the top to guide the hose.

I have cast iron ones...cute little birds.

I finally took out the evil little birds as I got tired of stubbing my toes on them or tripping over them.

I have cast iron ones...cute little birds.

I finally took out the evil little birds as I got tired of stubbing my toes on them or tripping over them.

I've learned to be more careful now.....

I took old copper piping that had corroded and was going to be scrapped, cut it into 2.5 foot lengths, and drove them into the ground. To keep the hose from jumping the top while one yanks on it with pure rage... Because they will always somehow get a knot tied into them that only a sailor or boyscout would know.... I added a 90 degree angle and 2 inch "arm" to the top of them and then capped them. The look nice as the brown down and the are tall enough that I don't trip on them.

I've considered them VERY often, but just have never gotten around to buying them. Kept thinking about how I would probably trip over them - which I guess after reading this thread is a valid concern, lol!

I prefer the more decorative guides, to the ones you have, PM2, not just for looks but because I think I would need taller guides, and also wouldn't trust that curvature to really hold the hose in - I think my hoses would jump right over it. Of course, the decoratives ones are likely more expensive, and I would need an awful lot of them.

nevermore, I am right there with ya when you mention yanking the hose with pure rage. My goodness, I swear hoses have a mind of their own, and its an evil mind!

In an ideal world, I would run underground piping and have spigots and *short* hoses at several places in the yard to water each area. One can dream, can't one....?

Dee

I use wooden stakes that are around three feet long. That way I will not trip on them. They are not attractive but I do not care.

Interesting that more gardeners donâÂÂt use these. I wonder if more people use drip irrigation and soaker hoses than I realized, and if that reduces the use of the hose?

I did get a question that was in my mind answered. I had thought of changing to a taller guide so that people could see it more. Seems like some of you have done that and are happy with them. And you've come up with some creative solutions too. It also occurred to me that if I replaced my hose, I might be happier, but I still think I would need hose guides.

Dee, the curvature does usually hold the hose and guide it and it sort of spins with the movement of the hose. You just have to position it to catch the little channel before you start yanking it. [g] Naturally, IâÂÂd prefer the more decorative ones too, but just havenâÂÂt gotten around to it.

I absolutely like your ideal world situation. IâÂÂve thought about doing something like that too. My yard is not that wide from the back of the house to the back lot line. I should really run a pipe out to the back border and that would keep me from pulling the hose all over the place. Butâ¦youâÂÂre right, lots more things to spend money on before that idea has a chance. :-)

Thank you all for the taller versions of hose guide ideas. IâÂÂm going to have to give that some serious thought.

Yes - the heavy, black metal ones I use came from HD. They weren't cheap but I wasn't watching my pennies as closely when I bought them. Took me a few years of buying 2 or 4 at a time to get as many as I thought I needed. The tops are a pineapple motif.

I placed two near the hose reel, two directly across the granite walkway where I need to drag the hose for cleaning & keeping birdbaths filled. They're in plain view but since they're functional through the growing season I don't consider them unsightly. Neither I nor anyone who's visited my garden has ever tripped over them.

Do they work? For my purposes, yes. I tend not to yank the garden hose so I guess they might not be as effective for those who do.

I use a tall, about 10" above ground, piece of aged copper pipe in various areas to guide my hoses.

I don't use hose guides unless you want to count the hefty shrub right next to one spigot that serves as a de facto hose guide. I don't often water the ornamental beds since we usually get fairly regular rain, but when I do, the spigot is placed so that with just a bit of care when I go around the corner of the house to one bed, I don't damage things, and in the other direction I am hauling the hose straight out down the driveway. I am more likely to water the veggie garden, especially during drier spells, but there isn't anything but grass between that hose bib and the veggies. I think that placement of the hose bibs is key to whether you need hose guides and since there were none when we moved into this old house which had little plumbing of any kind, we placed them where they would be of the most use with the least amount of fuss.

I've never though the commercial hose guides would work for me because they are way too short, so I use 1" copper pipe. I like the way copper looks when it ages, but regardless of my attraction to copper, the color doesn't jump out and detract from the garden plants. The finished height is an unmistakable 18" so I don't trip over them and I buy copper caps for them, thinking it makes them look a little better - though I wish I could find a more decorative topper instead. So copper pipe great for me.