gardening
Story by Pat Rubin Photos by Fred Greaves
Copper pipes, curtain rods, scraps of metal conduit, unused terracotta pots, large wooden beads, a glass bird from the top of a broken solar light and even wine bottles can be turned into decorative, useful hose guides. Hose guides, also called hose guards, are meant to be placed in strategic locations to act as barriers when you’re pulling a hose through the garden. They prevent the hose from being dragged across the plants. Of course, you can buy hose guides ready to go—but I think it’s a lot more fun to turn something you’ve collected into functional art for the garden. Even gardeners with fully automated irrigation systems still find themselves needing to take a hose into the garden fairly regularly. And truth be told, I find standing in the garden giving plants an extra drink with the hose relaxing and therapeutic. It also gives me a chance to look at the plants more closely to make sure they’re OK. So, in my garden, hose guides are a must. If you don’t have things on hand to turn into hose guides, take a look through the aisles of hardware, craft or secondhand home improvement stores for inspiration. Even a potted plant can act as a hose guide. Fun, functional art Decorative guides help protect your delicate plants from a hose
Pat Rubin cbmagazine@californiabountiful.com
MORE ONLINE Pat Rubin introduces a new online feature that
highlights the gorgeous colors of some of her favorite plants, month by month. Find it at californiabountiful.com.
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January/February 2024
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