There are plenty of ways to store garden hose. You can coil it neatly on the ground, wrap it over a hanger, or even wind it on a reel. The problem with all of these methods is that you can still see the hose, or the box storing the hose. They can take up a lot of space.
But with the Gardena Spiral Hose Box, the hose disappears under the ground with only a small cover showing. It’s so low profile you could mow right over it. The only downside is you have to plumb it with an underground water line.
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To use the hose, you just slide the lid open, pull out the hose, and turn on the nozzle. When you want to put it away, you “return the hose to the box” and close the lid. They don’t really specify how you stuff the hose back in, or how difficult it is. I’d assume the point of having a spiral hose is that it’d make getting it back into the box easier though.
The included spiral hose is 33 feet long. It has what looks to be a proprietary quick-connect fitting that attaches to Gardena’s optional hose accessories, but they at least include one of their classic spray nozzles with the hose. Their quick connect has an automatic “Water Stop” valve which allows you to change accessories without shutting off the water.
On the bottom of the box there’s a 1″ make threaded fitting, for connecting it, and its attached hose, to your water supply.
You can find the Gardena Spiral Hose Box at Amazon for $99 shipped, plus tax. If you live in the Midwest and have a Menards close by, they sell this in ground hose box regularly for $65, and there’s an extra $5 off until May 8th, 2016.
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First Thoughts
We’re setting up some new flowerbeds after having our driveway replaced. Right now I’m dragging a long hose all over the yard to reach the beds, but it’d be great just to have a shorter hose at the point of use. I do plan on pulling in some hard line for irrigation when the beds are established, but as long as I’m doing that, I’m thinking throwing in an easy place to access water would be handy.
A few of the beds are close to the road or sidewalk, and I’m wondering if I really want a spigot close to the public where anybody can mess with it. This in ground system allows you to keep a shorter hose in a very discreet looking cover on the ground. Sure it’s security through obscurity, but it’s better than some troublemaker walking by leaving your spigot on.
Roger
hmm, I’d be worried about all sorts of debris falling into the box, which would be a pain to clean out…
Jon
PRECISELY my immediate reaction.
My second reaction was, “It’s still a very cool concept.”
JackC
Hmmmm, looks like a great place for a black widow to set up shop…
Doresoom
That was my thought exactly. Seems like in my area for every wood pile, every hole in the ground, there’s a black widow that made it home.
Brian
Id buy it immediately… but then Id need to setup a charged sprinkler zone, which I dont have, and really cant have without digging trenches.
But if I was planning a new system, Id integrate this for sure.
fred
While we have most of the lawn on sprinklers and installed drip irrigation in most of the raised beds and edge beds – its always good to have a hose. I have 4 hose bibs around the house but I might have done this when we did the irrigation system. I may still splice one in near the main set of raised beds – to try. Wonder how the system fares in the winter. BTW I use the Gardena female quick hose connectors (36918) and they work fine with other brands of male connectors from Nelson and Gilmour. My wife is also a fan of the Gardena cordless grass clipper (8817) and its companion 8895 (petite) hedge trimmer – that lets you get inside the bush – a bit like hand pruners.
Ed S
I would like a socket-pipe. Pop lid, plug in hose and go. Don’t want this freezing, and worry about leak/separation/critters. I dislike proprietary fittings.
ofcourse, if you garden that much, that far from water source, you either already have a long hose or can add ground pipe/fitting to water. (neither cheaper than $65 ofcourse).
Reminds me, I need to replace outside “freeze” proof faucet…nobody said it as drip proof (could be washer…simple fix with right tool!)
Benjamen
http://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/watering-irrigation/underground-sprinkler-systems/underground-sprinkler-accessories/gardena-in-groundhose-connection/p-1444430949761-c-8652.htm
They make something like what you specified.
I just replaced the packing washer in my frost proof hose bib, the last owner was too cheap and just used valve packing. It has leaked for 15 years, but this year I wanted to leave a hose attached and leave it on all the time, using a different valve down the line.
Cost me $20 to get the damn washer out of a rebuilt kit. Otherwise I would have had to wait several weeks for it to ship just the part. Still cheaper than ripping out the basement ceiling so I could replace the bib entirely.
fred
As I mentioned above – the Gardena fittings may be proprietary – but all the ones I have seem to work with others from Nelson, Gilmour, and Melnor.
George
If it has a lid like a Vittles Vault pet food container, maybe. But as mentioned, it seems like you’re just setting up a home for all kinds of things you’ll be sticking your hand into — the least of which is stagnant water.
Benjamen
That’s a good point about stagnant water I wonder how water tight the top is and if the bottom has weep holes to let out the water if it does accumulate. We might not have black widows up here, but mosquitoes will breed in any pool of stagnant water.
As for critters, pretty much anywhere you leave alone for a few days outside becomes a home. Heck I’m careful every time I put on my work boots in the garage that a spider hasn’t taken up residence. Not so much out of fear for my safety as being creeped out by something moving in my boot.
D
Gardena is a German company. Black widows are not a factor.
fred
Funny.
Gardena (Kress + Kastner GMBH) is (I believe) part of the Husqvarna Group
Yadda
Although completely different, the in ground feature of this system reminds me of the watering system I installed in my yard.
https://wateringmadeeasy.com/
Simple, works great and installation is a breeze.
P
They don’t mention anything about the internal threading. I’d want to be sure I could replace the included hose with something standard, in case this hose ruptures or gets cut, I really don’t want to have to replace the box. Also, I’d want a shut-off inside the box, again, in case something happens to the hose.
garrett
Hmmm, this really adds a nice Orwellian element to any natural setting. Looks like it came out of the same shop as those teletubbies speakers.
PhilnTX
Here in TEXAS, it would fill up with fire ants in no time at all. I’ll pass.
JRN
You have to have the money to own a MLB team but Reelcraft has thought of this a long time ago –
http://www.reelcraft.com/pdfs/catalogs/dgm_underground_reels.pdf
Steve
Looks like excellent snake habitat for the garden. I know I love to reach around in dark underground holes looking for my hose.