The Hose Corner

The system

My hose system at the corner of the kitchen has worked well. I have a straight hose connected to a coiled hose and together they are long enough to reach the field across the driveway, the dining room window garden, and all the way to just behind the deck.

But it's a lot to wrangle.

When I'm being tidy, I loop the straight hose and hang it on the little stand, and then stack the rest of the corkscrew hose on an upright rod next to that.

But mostly I hang the straight hose but leave the coiled one lying on the ground, although I try to tuck it under the rosemary. 

That's a crowded little corner that is the only passage through the yard. The rosemary crowds the walk further despite some pretty aggressive pruning last year.  I really need to do something with this corner to open it up.

Nice when smaller, lovely in bloom

The Arp rosemary was a nice accent when smaller, and I love the plant. I take cuttings for drinks and cooking, I love the brief show of lovely blue flowers, and it anchors that corner.

But. 

It is way too big, even with my pruning last summer. I need to prune it again, and can't while laid up. And constant pruning to keep it in bounds isn't feasible any more.

So . . . I will ask Jeronimo to take it out when he comes in early May to start the irrigation (and make repairs where it's broken by the fence.) 

It's not a job I could do myself and now, unable to do any gardening, I might as well hire out a task or two.

There is an emitter in that spot and I need something at the corner, but what to put there? Maybe just a small perennial or two or even a ground cover.

The chair + a pot  -- uncluttered look

Then stage a watering station right there to better manage my hose system and keep the area open for passage. 

I could move the black plant stand there -- instead of by the kitchen door. 

I'd leave the chair by the door, and put a container next to it with something, like I had at one point with the blueberry in the white pot. 

Something similar, a simple uncluttered look at the door. Or maybe several small pots to echo the collection right across at the garage door.

Around the corner, in the open spot I can set the plant stand, keep the hose hanger, but then use the stand to lay the coiled hose over rather than laying it along the ground. Something like this rough idea:

This is A.I. but the general idea

I don't want a storage box hiding a hose, or a wind up reel contraption or a bowl to coil the hose inside -- I've tried those and they don't work for me. And nothing attached to the wall.

I like the simplicity of the plant stand. A ground cover or low perennial below the stand, or nothing, a watering can staged nearby, add the wire vegetable basket . . . it could look okay and be useful. And it opens up the corner to get by easily.

Or maybe no structure or plants at all, just keep the hoses there at the corner, out of the way and not impeding the walk, but visible. I'd need to move the in-ground holder for the straight hose over to fill the empty area.

Also A.I. and a little stiff looking, but this is simple

Or this could be fun -- just lay the coiled hose out in a cute little wagon. I won't do this, but I like the idea!

You can still buy Radio Flyer wagons

Yes, I've decided I am going to have Jeronimo take out the rosemary. I think I like best the idea of the plant stand, a watering can, a ground cover and the hoses.