If I could describe myself as any gardening tool, it would have to be the watering hose. That is the only gardening tool I can think of that visits all plants regularly. For example, in my home gardens, sooner or later all plants will need water, so I will get to visit all the plants. 

Not only that, but I also will give life-sustaining moisture to the plants, which as a gardener, is what I do. 

Why a Watering Hose? 

Since I love to walk through a nursery and look at all the plants, it makes sense to compare myself to the application of water. I like to see what’s new in the gardener’s world as well as to revisit the annual standbys. There are certain seasonal plants that are must-haves in my garden, such as annual plumbago, impatiens, crossandra, coleus, chrysanthemum, coral plant, petunia, fuchsia, begonia, tulip, and caladium. Of course there are others, but those are the mainstays that I purchase new each year if I don’t overwinter any of them. I often will overwinter crossandra, coral plant, and begonia. 

When in my backyard watering, I can see how each plant is doing and notice whether anything looks amiss. I can admire the beauty of each plant, the richness of its color, and the way it brings me happiness. I also love to see the interaction plants have with wildlife, such as the visiting bees and butterflies, the patrolling praying mantids, the nibbling bunnies, and birds seeking seeds. 

I incorporate several native plants into the landscape for their easy care and to further enhance wildlife diversity in my yard. My favorite native perennials include purple coneflower, butterfly weed, liatris, little bluestem, Indian pink, trumpet honeysuckle, and woodland phlox. 

While watering all the plants, I am giving them the life-sustaining moisture needed to grow and flower. When rain isn’t sufficient, I hand water the plants all around the backyard, as well as the front foundation. I have a lot of container plants, so they need a lot of watering attention, too, in summer. 

I really use the watering hose a lot; so it is no wonder I identify with it.