Watering Around the Farm Using Gilmour Outdoor Solutions
The next few days are expected to be quite warm, humid and dry here in the northeast - with only a small chance of rain.
Because of this typical summer weather, the sprinklers at my farm have been very busy. And to keep the many trees, shrubs, and plants well irrigated until the next soaking rainfall, we use a number of hoses, nozzles, and sprinklers. One of my favorite sources is Gilmour, a Madison, Wisconsin-based company that’s been manufacturing watering equipment for more than 65-years. I use several of their products at my home in Bedford, at Lily Pond in East Hampton, and at Skylands in Maine.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Here is one of my newest gardens at the farm – my lily and hosta bed in front of the main greenhouse. It will soon have many beautiful white lilies in bloom. Now that it is dry and warm, we have to do lots of watering to keep all the gardens looking their best. Fortunately, I have two deep wells – all of the hoses and bibs are connected to an elaborate underground irrigation system.
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- This is my long and winding pergola. It also needs a lot of watering to maintain the growing boxwood, lilies and other precious plantings.
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- Gilmour has a very durable collection of gardening supplies – these are always put to great use in the gardens and wherever thorough watering is needed. http://gilmour.com/where-to-buy
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- Their supplies include a variety of sprinklers, hoses and wands, as well as other watering solutions.
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- The Gilmour 50-foot Flexogen hose is a heavy-duty eight-ply garden hose with a polished surface that resists abrasions, stains, and mildew. I have these hoses all over the farm and at my other homes in East Hampton and Maine.
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- Here at Bedford, every single spigot has a hose and at least one sprinkler nearby ready to be used. This set-up is on the back side of my carport underneath a row of bird feeders and next to my dwarf apple espalier.
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- Here is another hose located on a terrace at my Winter House – again with a sprinkler and if necessary a watering wand, so they’re always within reach. After the season, all these supplies are cleaned and stored.
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- And this hose is located just to the side of my carport near my Flower Room.
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- The hose is removed to show the rack – some of you may remember it from one of my old retail collections – so decorative and so durable. It has lasted for many years.
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- I love these tripod sprinklers – the height, distance and spray patterns can be adjusted to suit so many garden needs. They’re also very, very sturdy, and because they’re all-metal, they can stand-up to frequent use around the property. This is one of several sprinklers in my large orchard.
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- I have more than 200-fruit trees in this field. The adjustable tripod can reach a height of 58-inches and has spiked feet to keep it stable on gravel, grass or soil.
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- This sprinkler is positioned to water some of the fruit trees, the hedge of Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Purple’ along the inside of the pool fence and the Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ and Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ on the outside of the pool fence.
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- And this tripod is angled to spray just above the tallest plantings in the dwarf apple espalier behind the carport.
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- The collars of these tripod sprinklers can be adjusted for partial to full circle coverage, and each sprinkler’s pin diffuser allows for a customized spray from powerful jet to a gentle mist.
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- The round dial on top makes it easy to set the direction and length of spray.
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- Look how far the sprinkler can reach – and the spray is very consistent.
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- 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 sprinkler is set lower, with a shorter, weaker reach. Never direct hard spraying sprinklers at trees – this may mar the bark.
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- Harder sprays are used for open spaces such as my new pumpkin patch in one corner of the lower hayfield. Everyone at the farm is excited to see how many pumpkins we get this year.
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- Gilmour also makes oscillating sprinklers that are easy to control in a variety of areas. This is an Adjustable Rectangular Sprinkler. This sprinkler is very handy for use in small and large yards.
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- 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. 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.
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- This large coverage Pattern Master Sprinkler covers more than 100-feet in diameter. This sprinkler is great to use on lawns. It can easily be adjusted to fit many space configurations.
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- This is a view inside my trailer as it was packed for Skylands. I made sure longer 75-foot hoses, along with a variety of sprinklers went up with the various plantings.
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- A supply of hoses also went to Lily Pond, my home in East Hampton. Here is my outdoor grounds crew foreman taking hoses to the truck.
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- During the summer, a good watering is done to a depth of about six to eight inches. I hope all your gardens are getting the water they need this season.
Martha Pins
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