Garden Hose Fittings - Small But Significant

If you are new to gardening, there is probably a lot you don't yet know about it. I hope you know that plants need water. You do? Ok, then you probably also know that having a garden hose can be a tremendous help in getting the watering chores done in a manner which makes sense. But there is more to it than just buying a garden hose and somehow attaching it to the tap with electrical tape or something. It won't work very well.

What you need to know about, is garden hose fittings, as they are called. These are the boring little widgets that make it possible to connect your garden hose to the tap, in a way that is watertight and long-lasting. And doesn't look silly. Most taps that are mounted outdoors (and most taps in general), are outfitted with a screw thread which allows the connection of hoses, pipes and various other peripheral equipment.

Old-fashioned brass garden hose fittings are quite simple affairs, just brass pipes with one end shaped as 3 or 4 conical sections, which can just be squeezed into a rubber or vinyl garden hose. Often, a steel strap is then used to secure the hose to the pipe. The other end is fitted with a threaded nut, designed to fit on the thread on the tap. Water tight operation is usually achieved with a rubber gasket. The old type works fine and is very sturdy - but a little unflexible. Modern garden hose connectors are made of plastic and have evolved into countless types of connectors, setting little or no limits to what can be done when it comes to transporting water around your garden. A great invention here, is the quick connect fitting. This allows for fast connection to spray guns, nozzles and garden sprinklers, while still keeping the water inside the hose. There are many types of garden hose pipe fittings around, so take the time to understand what they can do for you - gardening may become a lot easier.