Articles

As any devoted gardener knows, gardening can take a real toll on the body. Hours spent hunched over flower beds, bending to retrieve tools, or lifting heavy bags of mulch can leave you feeling sore and spent.

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Do you have dreams about the perfect garden? Have you read all the books, spent time wandering around your local flower nursery or flower stand at the public market, talking to the florist about what you would do with your garden, if only your yard was a little better?

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Gardening is one of America’s best-loved past times. According to a Spring 2014 survey, 113.5 million Americans had spent time gardening in the past year: that’s roughly a third of all Americans! And there is little wonder why. Gardening allows you to personalize your home, increase its value, and stay active all at once. Read More

Choosing a garden hose might seem like an easy task, but there's more that goes into hose selection than you might think, especially if you're in the market for a specialty commercial water hose. If you've never thought about purchasing a commercial water hose for your home or business, here are a few different types to consider, as well as a few of the benefits they offer.

Camper/RV Hoses

The biggest advantage of these hoses is their non-toxic core. This makes them completely safe to drink from and even to bathe with. These hoses are certified for potable water, making them ideal for going out of town on a camping trip, or even out on a boating adventure. These commercial water hoses can typically be identified by their white or blue coloration and usually come in lengths anywhere from 10 to 50 feet. So next time you plan a family RV vacation, don't forget to pick up one of these hoses!

Flat Hoses

Flat hoses are ideal for those heavy duty gardeners who are a little bit tight on space. As the name suggests, these hoses lie flat until water passes through them. In addition to being excellent for storage, some of these hoses are even self-draining. But if your flat hose isn't self-draining, it's important to have a hose storage system that squeezes any excess water out of the hose. Any city gardeners or landscapers would definitely benefit from this kind of hose.

Soaker Hoses

Soaker hoses, as you might have guessed, are used to soak large areas. Equipped with thousands of tiny holes spanning the entire length of the hose, this tool is excellent for watering large gardens and flowerbeds. But you don't have to worry about the water stream harming your plants. In addition to being able to soak large areas, the holes are designed in a way that provides a gentle soak.

Sprinkler Hoses

Sprinkler hoses and soaker hoses actually have quite a bit in common. Namely, the thousands of tiny perforations running their lengths. But unlike the soaker hose, the holes in a sprinkler hose are designed to spray an even finer mist over vast areas. These hoses, rather than being ideal for single flowerbeds, are better for general lawn watering purposes.

Whether you're a landscaper or you just like flexing your green thumb, make sure you choose the right hose for the job. Read More

Whether you're working in your backyard or in a rural setting, there's no question that a good hose is vital to maintaining the health of your lawn and your plants. But when it comes to maintaining the health of your hose, you need to start with a good base.

Shopping for a garden hose might seem pretty simple, but there are certain things that every gardener or farmer should consider when purchasing a new hose. Here are five traits that you absolutely need to be looking for when you are out shopping around.

Length
You might not think length is important, but heavy duty industrial hoses often need to be able to carry materials over great distances. Regardless of the job that needs to be done, you need to make sure you have the appropriate length form your hose. Those plants at the very back of your lawn aren't going to water themselves!

Thickness
This trait is particularly important for industrial hoses. The thicker the hose, the less water pressure it will hold. If you need an intense flow of water, then you should opt for a hose that's just a bit thinner. A 3/4 inch hose can deliver three times the water of a 1/2 inch hose.

Material
If you're living in a mild climate and only use your hose moderately, vinyl is a great choice. However, living and working in more extreme conditions requires a material like rubber that is a little bit more durable.

Nozzles
It's normal to perform a variety of different watering tasks in a garden, which means you may need a hose that has the ability to hold different nozzles. An adjustable nozzle with soaker and sprinkler capabilities is always a good bet.

Storage Needs
Unless you live in a very mild climate, it's important to make sure your hose can be easily stored during the colder months when you're not gardening or watering your lawn. A mounted reel is a great, portable storage option.

No matter the job, your hose should be able to meet all of the necessary requirements. Don't forget to look for these things when you're searching for a new hose! Read More

With the frigid winter months drawing to a close, many new and long-time gardeners are eager to get started on planting and maintaining a new round of plants in their backyard. However, plants can be unpredictable and difficult to keep healthy all throughout spring. We've gathered a couple good tips and tricks to keep your garden flourishing this season.

• Let Your Soil Breathe
  While it's tempting to make sure your plants get plenty of water, it's also important to not weigh down the soil. Stepping on or watering the soil too much can cause compression, not allowing rich oxygen to get to the plant roots and thus damaging its growth.
• Have a Good Commercial Water Hose
  A decent commercial water hose can last up to ten years. Ideally, you want a hose that will not transfer harmful chemicals to your plants, one that never kinks or tangles and one that helps you conserve water. If you look close enough, you can find a commercial water hose that does all of these things. Take, for example, the types of hoses you can find at Apex Hose.
• Break Up The Roots
  If you purchase plants that have already begun to grow in a pot, a good thing to remember is the roots of the plant are confined to that pot. They're not allowed to spread out, as they naturally want to do. After you take it out of it's pot, use your fingers to carefully break up some of the tightly packed roots to encourage the plant to continue growing.
• Watch the Overuse of Fertilizer
  We all want to make sure out plants have everything they needs to grow healthy and strong. However, using fertilizer too much or using the wrong type can severely damage your plants. It's important to get the right kind and use it sparingly on your plants
• Weed and Prune regularly
  Even something as simple as weeds can be devastating to plant health. Weeds prevent the needed nutrients and sunlight to get to your plants, choking the life out of them. Careful maintenance can assure this will not happen.
• Cut Branches Low to the Ground
  When maintaining shrubbery, be sure to cut off the branches that are low to the ground. These branches prevent sunlight from getting to the middle of the bush, where they need it most.

Maintaining a healthy, beautiful garden is a tough commitment. It requires a lot of patience and time, and can often be frustrating. However, following these few simple tips should lead you on the path to having a greener, greater garden. Read More

As a novice home gardener, you know some of the basics — garden hoses come in lengths between 25 feet and 100 feet, the optimum amount of water for a lawn is about one inch per session — but you’ve still got a lot to learn. To get you started, here is a brief glossary of some essential gardening terms.

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If you’re a devoted gardener, you probably try to take good care of your tools and equipment. Some things are easy to forget, though. For instance, you might not put too much thought into maintaining your water hose, but when it’s left out in the cold all winter, it can experience some serious damage. While that's good news for heavy duty garden hose makers come springtime, it's bad news for forgetful gardeners.

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Gardening is one of the most popular pastimes in the United States. In 2014, there were over 113.5 million people in the U.S. who gardened either for their own pleasure, for food service jobs, or just to eat some healthy food for cheap.

Although millions of people enjoy gardening and do it quite often, there are still millions more that would love to become gardeners but might not know where to start. Here are a few things to keep in mind as a beginning gardener. Read More

Gifting season is right around the corner, and while the growing season is soon coming to a close, the winter is actually a perfect time for creative garden ideas and fantasies to percolate inside a budding young gardener's mind. If you've got one of these green-thumbs on your holiday gift-giving list, there is no shortage of gifts that can make their dreams come true (and that will stay useful even if the passion for gardening eventually fizzles).

To help encourage the growth of the devoted gardener in your life, check out these great gift ideas for gardeners:

Seeds
Get them started with a kit of seeds! Pick a theme and give them everything they'd need to get started. Some examples are: Salad kit (lettuce varieties, cucumbers, radish) or herb garden kits.

Gardening Books
Providing some literature for the novice gardener to leaf through is a great way to get those wheels turning all winter long. Cosy nights by the proverbial (or literal) fire are well spent in imagining gardenscapes, the dance between blossoms and bees, and delicate scents wafting in the warm air.

Gloves
A cute pair of gardening gloves really comes in handy when dealing with nettles and thorns, plus they are helpful for other home maintenance tasks.

Hand Trowels
Trowels are great for planting herbs, digging in corners, and taking out weeds. If a gardener was to have any one tool, this would probably be it.

Water Hoses
Plants need only two things when it comes down to it -- sun and water (some TLC never hurt, either). If your novice gardener doesn't have a hose, you should look into getting one for them -- a good one should last five to 10 years. Never kink versions tend to be convenient and popular, and they are a great choice for those whose gardens are a little far from their hose spigot.

Rake
It may not be as exciting as a seed kit, but a rake will help clean up a garden at the start and end of a growing season, and all the times in between. Your new gardener (or even experienced ones) will be grateful for a clean working place.

With your help and a successful growing season, your novice will soon become a devoted gardener. Don't hesitate to fill the gaps in devoted and experienced gardeners' toolkits either. Read More