My Solution To Watering Plants Across A One Acre Garden

In order to correctly install an irrigation system to cover a large garden, one has to dig trenches at least 18inches deep (below the frost line), line the bottom of the trench with gravel then lay the pipe, back fill with more gravel then top with soil.  This is too expensive on my limited budget as I will only use the watering system in dry hot spells or when planting anything new.  I have, therefore, installed a cheaper and simpler method in my garden and the instructions for which I have detailed below.

 

1.     First, decide which areas of  the garden require watering in hot weather. Lay cheap standard garden hose to these areas, they are sold in 20, 30 and 40 metre lengths.

 

2.     Dig shallow trenches in the ground only to a depth of 5/6 inches, it is safer to run these trenches between the planting borders and the lawns to avoid cutting through them with a spade.

 

3.     Lay down a bed of sharp first, level and tamp it down so that it is compacted, the hosepipes were then laid on top of the sand, more sand was put on top, levelled then bricks or turf were laid on top. 

I have used brick edging throughout the garden, it serves two purposes, firstly to give a neat edge between herbaceous borders and lawn; and secondly my husband needs only to run the wheels of the lawn mower on top of the bricks without worrying whether the mower in end up in amongst the perennials. Maybe once a month the lawn edges need cutting (where the lawn abuts the brick). It is better if the bricks are laid at the same level of the lawn if not a little below.

The various lengths of hose terminate in the same place near the outside tape.  It is then easy to connect a short length of hose going from the outside tap to the hose ends.

It works as long I remember to turn the outside tap off first before disconnecting any of the hose length, otherwise I get very wet!

 

It works as long I remember to turn the outside tap off first before disconnecting any of the hose length, otherwise I get very wet!
 
I hope this idea is useful to someone or perhaps it might inspire a slightly tweaking.
 
Happy gardening.