Some ideas are so stunningly simple that you wonder why you hadn't thought of it before. Perhaps someone else here could use this idea.

I was chatting with my mother about wanting to expand the shade bed at the front of the house, but I was dealing with trees and the need for frequent watering to keep the hostas happy.

Running a soaker hose from the tap isn't an option because the hose would have to run over part of the driveway, even if it did reach that far.

So she said, "well, why don't you use a rain barrel?"

Doh! I happen to have a deluxe rain barrel in the shed, complete with hose connection and mosquito screen. I haven't used it since I moved here because the existing downspouts just aren't where I'd want them to place the barrel. Plans are to change the troughs on the garage. Next year. Maybe.

It never even occurred to me to just place the barrel somewhere and fill it up with tap water instead of rain to slowly deliver water where I want it via a soaker hose.

It even fits just around the corner and out of sight of the shade bed in question!