Hose Storage Ideas

Hose Racks

• Hose racks are the basic garden hose storage solution, although some of them can be quite fancy. They are attached to the wall near the water faucet and can be positioned at any height for best appearance and convenience. If your outdoor spigot is concealed by foliage, for example, hang the hose rack low enough to hide it from view. Hose racks are available in different forms and price ranges. One is a plain metal hose butler that resembles a half barrel stave enclosed by a brace. It sells for a few dollars at garden stores. A more decorative solution is a hand-cast aluminum flower head with a bar behind it for wrapping the hose. There are materials and designs to suit a broad budget spectrum. Although a hose rack "stores" the hose, and some partially camouflage the hose as well, you have to coil and uncoil the hose manually for use.

Hose Reels

• With the shifting of a handle or the push of a button, a hose reel can roll a garden hose out of sight. The reel includes an enclosed compartment to store the hose when it isn't being used. Some reels have a dock that connects the faucet and the hose. Others have an opening for threading the hose from inside the compartment to the faucet. Hose reels are made for specific lengths of hose, so make sure the one you buy is big enough for the amount of hose you plan to store.

Hose Pots

• A hose pot can be as simple as a wide-mouthed plastic pot with drainage holes or as elegant as glazed enamel. When you're finished with the hose, you simply coil it into the pot to hide it from view. A hose pot includes a hole near the base for threading the hose from inside the pot to the faucet so you don't have to disconnect the hose between uses. Some hose pots have a notch in the rim to hold the nozzle end so you can always find it, and some include a pot lid to keep leaves and dirt from falling into the pot.

Garden Benches

• A garden bench provides useful hidden hose storage and generally holds more than one hose. Make or buy a bench in a weather-resistant hardwood such as ipe or a traditional cedar, teak or redwood. The bench's storage trick is its hinged seat that lifts to reveal a compartment with a wire mesh bottom. The hose is coiled and placed in the compartment where the mesh allows it to drip dry. With the seat lowered, the bench makes a great spot to relax and check out the results of all the watering and fertilizing. For convenience and safety, the seat should be hinged to remain open or include a hook and eye so the seat can be fastened open while you remove or return the hose.