Watering with Gilmour Around My Farm
It takes a lot of close monitoring to stay on top of our watering tasks this time of year. We've had sporadic showers and thunderstorms, but sometimes they're just not enough to keep all the gardens well irrigated.
Because of this typical August weather, the hoses and sprinklers have been very busy. One of my favorite sources is Gilmour, a Madison, Wisconsin-based company that’s been manufacturing hoses and other watering solutions for more than 65-years. I use several of their products at my Bedford, New York farm, at Lily Pond in East Hampton, and at Skylands, my home in Maine. With so many trees, shrubs and plants to maintain, it’s important we use only the best quality outdoor tools.
Enjoy these photos.
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- During the driest, warmest days of summer, we have to do lots of watering around the farm. Fortunately, I have two deep wells – all of the hoses and bibs are connected to an elaborate underground irrigation system. And thankfully, we aren’t under any water use restrictions.
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- Gilmour has a very durable collection of gardening supplies – I have been using Gilmour products for years. The hoses are always put to great use in the gardens and wherever thorough watering is needed.
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- The Gilmour 50-foot and 100-foot Flexogen hoses are heavy-duty eight-ply garden hoses with a polished surface that resists abrasions, stains, and mildew. I have these hoses all over the farm.
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- Mornings are the best times to water – when water pressure is high, evaporation is low, and the soil can absorb the water before the sun heats up the ground. I also use the Gilmour tripod sprinklers – the height, distance and spray patterns can be adjusted to suit so many garden needs.
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- The collar of these tripod sprinklers can be adjusted for partial to full circle coverage.
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- The pin diffuser allows for a customized spray from powerful jet to gentle mist.
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- The round dial on top makes it easy to set the direction and length of the spray.
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- For this area, Phurba also adjusts the height of the sprinkler. The all-metal build stands up to frequent use, especially around my working farm.
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- Each of the legs is also adjustable. Phurba lowers the sprinkler and sets a shorter, weaker reach for this section across from my linden tree allee.
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- Never direct hard spraying sprinklers at trees – this may mar the bark. Instead, use harder sprays for open spaces and wide lawn areas.
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- On this morning, Phurba also waters the growing Japanese maples. Over the last several years, I’ve planted hundreds of Japanese maples in this area not far from my chicken coops. I just love them and always look forward to their gorgeous displays of color, especially in autumn.
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- The Flexogen hose is the strongest, lightest hose in its class. Phurba carries two hoses down to the Boxwood Allee. These hoses curve without kinking, connect without leaking and are easy to store.
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- Here, one can see the spiked feet of the tripod sprinkler which provide lots of stability on varied surfaces.
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- On hot, humid days, one person on the crew manages all the watering. This way, everything can be monitored and timed appropriately.
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- Look how far the sprinkler can reach – and the spray is very consistent.
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- To avoid dry spots, sprinkler heads should be positioned so they overlap slightly in their coverage areas. During the summer, a good watering is done to a depth of about six to eight inches. An even, intermittent sprinkling is best for thorough, deep watering.
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- Well-established trees with strong, deep root systems will be more drought tolerant. Most of my trees, such as these in the American beech grove are very hardy and can wait for the next soaking rain.
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- This tripod sprinkler is used for the tree seedlings that are being maintained and nurtured behind my stable. The adjustable tripod can reach a height of 58-inches and can water everything from above. Once the watering in one area is done, it’s important to turn off the water at the source. Just turning off at the sprinkler puts a lot of pressure on the hoses and pipes.
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- This Gilmour hose and circular sprinkler and spike base are located at the other end of my Boxwood Allee. This handy sprinkler provides up to 5800 square feet of coverage. And notice the hose color. I like that the hoses are gray – they coordinate well with the color on all the buildings and outdoor furniture at Bedford, a color I designed call “Bedford Gray.”
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- Here, Phurba uses the Gilmour hose to manually water the container plants in my stable courtyard.
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- Gilmour also makes oscillating sprinklers that are easy to control in a variety of areas – they provide thousands of square feet in water coverage. These feature a tube with multiple openings that move back and forth to provide even watering. I use several around the farm for gently watering ground covering plants and lawns. Some models are older, but they hold up so well through the seasons.
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- And here is a hose and sprinkler located outside my Summer House. During this time of year, I keep the sprinklers near the hoses, so they’re always readily available. Every so often, observe sprinklers in action, looking for clogged or leaking heads that may need minor maintenance.
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- We had some good rain last night and today is expected to bring a mix of sun and clouds with temperatures in the 80s. I hope all your gardens are getting the water they need.
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