The 8 Best Watering Tools Every Gardener Needs

As any gardener or landscaper will tell you, there is nothing worse than having to lug around a heavy, cumbersome garden hose. The beauty of the Flexi Hose Lightweight Expandable Garden Hose is that it is super lightweight and when there's no water in it, it shrinks down and retracts to a manageable size for moving about. When water is turned on, the hose automatically expands to three times its size. This tough garden hose is built from an inner tube of four layers of latex and an outer covering of high-endurance elastic to help protect it from being punctured. The hose comes with ¾-inch solid brass connectors that can fit the majority of outdoor garden taps and is also kink-resistant and comes in three sizes: 50, 75, and 100 feet.

For gardeners who like lots of watering options in one tool, the Gardenite 10-Pattern Garden Hose Nozzle provides 10 different spray patterns with the easy turn of a dial. What's more, the nozzle also allows you to adjust the water pressure for each of those 10 spray patterns through its flow control knob on the back of the nozzle. So depending on what you're watering, you can adjust from a soft shower to high pressure with just a quick knob turn. Made of solid metal with a baked-on protective enamel coating, the nozzle is designed to last many seasons compared to plastic nozzles on the market. It also features an ergonomic grip made of soft rubber for a comfortable place for your hand to hold and operate the nozzle without tiring out or cramping.

The Melnor 65045-AMZ RelaxGrip Showerhead Watering Wand adds up to 48 inches of length to your hose to make it easy to water hard-to-reach plants like hanging plant baskets and back-row plants in gardens. Made from durable stainless steel, the watering wand features natural grip handles to make operating the wand comfortable and easy on the hands and wrists. The grip also has an easy-to-use thumb control for keeping water flow at the pressure you want. The wand's head pivots angles and provides eight spray patterns from a gentle shower perfect for delicate plants and new sprouts, to a powerful jet good for hosing down tools.

Now, some people may think watering cans are all the same. However, when you see a watering can like the Behrens 2-Gallon Steel Watering Can with over 3,000 ratings and 4.5 stars on Amazon, you realize there's more to this watering tool than meets the eye. For starters, this vintage-inspired watering can is made of hot-dipped steel, making it super-sturdy, rust-resistant, and built to last for many seasons. Weighing less than 20 pounds once it's filled with water, the watering can is easy to move around the outside of the home. The can's head is a large rosehead (or sprinkler head) for excellent water dispersal. And the Behrens 2-Gallon Steel Watering Can is also resistant to weather and rodents and is recyclable.

If you don't have a built-in home sprinkler on your property, or maybe your home sprinkler doesn't have the capacity to reach all your plants, then the Aqua Joe SJI-OMS16 Indestructible Metal Base Oscillating Sprinkler with Adjustable Spray is a must-have. With almost 13,600 reviews and 4.5 stars on Amazon, this lawn and garden sprinkler can water up to 3,600 square feet of lawn, gardens, and other plants. The sprinkler features 16 clog-resistant nozzles and a base made of solid metal for excellent durability. The sprinkler's coverage pattern is also completely customizable, so you can set the exact width and range you need to ensure water is not wasted and there's no overwatering. This oscillating sprinkler is compatible with most standard garden hoses and comes with a leak-resistant connector and a two-year manufacturer warranty.

If you need some assistance in making sure your potted plants and hanging basket plants are getting enough water, then you'll want to check out the Raindrip R560DP Automatic Watering Kit. This set-it-and-forget-it drip irrigation system kit comes with everything you need to easily set up a drip irrigation system for up to 20 plants, including tubing, metals stakes, and pre-assembled feeder lines. The kit also includes a timer that automates the watering process for you. The entire system sets up in three easy steps, and the system can be customized and expanded as needed. According to the company, using a drip irrigation system can help you save up to 70% in water usage by eliminating water run-off and evaporation. Raindrip also makes specialized drip irrigation system kits for different garden setups like flower beds and vegetable gardens.

When you go on vacation or need to be away from your plants for a few days, how do they get watered? The solution: Remiawy Terracotta Plant Watering Stakes. Available in four, six, and eight packs, these self-watering stakes are made from terracotta, which is a very porous material. When the stakes are inserted into the soil near a plant and a full water bottle is inserted into the open top of the stake, the terracotta allows the water to slowly seep through and into the soil. This process keeps the plant watered while not flooding the soil, helping to keep vital nutrients in the soil. A one-liter bottle of water will keep a plant happily watered for seven to 10 days depending on the type of plant, soil, and climate you're working with. And these Remiawy plant watering stakes can be used with any long-neck bottle, even wine bottles, making them a great way to reuse empty vessels.

Take your garden rain gauge high-tech with the AcuRite 00899 Rain Gauge. The system features a weather-resistant rain-collecting vessel that is placed outside and an indoor display unit with an easy-to-read LCD screen. The rain gauge vessel not only measures rainfall in inches or millimeters but continually provides updates on rain measurements every 16 seconds to the display unit. The rain gauge can also provide data such as your area's rainfall history, and you can even set up a customizable rain alert if you're monitoring specific amounts of rainfall or a potential flood. The AcuRite 00899 Rain Gauge is also self-emptying, so you never have to worry about it holding on to all the rain it collects.

Do you have a watering tool that your lawn or garden can’t live without? Tell us about it in the comments below!