The Garden Hose Hack That Will Give Your Landscaping A Professional Look

Would you believe us if we told you that a simple garden hose can help design your next yard project? Well, it can — at least when it comes to edging your garden beds. The idea takes its inspiration from the wattle fences that kept animals safe and defined gardens and yards from prehistory through to medieval Britain and colonial America. Just like the farmers and villagers of old, you simply weave lengths of garden hose — which replace the traditional timber canes — through a series of upright stakes driven deep into the ground. This just so happens to be the best way to edge your curved lawn, too, since you're working with flexible materials.

A 20-foot long, 3/4 to 1-inch thick garden hose will give you edging that's under 10-inches tall and about 8 feet in length. If reducing, reusing, and recycling gets you excited, picking up the garden hose you need for this project secondhand is without a doubt the most earth-friendly way to build this fence. It's also the cheapest option, as an added bonus. Rummage through thrift stores, search Facebook Marketplace, or post a request in your local Buy Nothing group. Obviously, it's totally fine to buy the hose. It's worth noting that garden hose is designed for durability, so expect this edging to last a long time, and you can purchase it relatively cheaply. 

Ace Hardware sells a fire engine red 3/4-inch, 5-foot-long contractor-grade garden hose for about $55. Or buy a 25-foot coil of 1-inch diameter flexible PVC pond hose in neutral black for just over $50. For the stakes you'll weave your garden hose, up-cycle sturdy metal, wood, or plastic poles you have lying around the house, or buy a 12-pack of 24-inch wooden landscape stakes for under $17 at Lowe's. They should be about 20 inches tall, so cut longer stakes down to size. You'll use cable ties to secure the hose to the poles (Amazon currently sells packs of 400 assorted-sized cable ties for around $7). 

Pound in the first stake with a rubber mallet, then lay the first length of hose on the ground and loop about a foot around, securing it with cable ties. Repeat for the other lengths. One at a time, weave the remaining stakes through the hoses at regular intervals along the garden bed, driving them into the ground as you go. Tie the hose ends tightly to the last stake with more cable ties and cut any overhang. If the hoses sag in the middle, secure them to nearby stakes with crisscrossed cable ties. You're not limited to garden hose for fencing material either. 

Other flexible garden edging ideas that make for the perfect landscaping include cable tubing, chunky nylon rope, torn and knotted old clothing, or go cottagecore and use willow or hazel branches. Alternate or coordinate the hose and stake hues for greater aesthetic interest, or top stakes with doorknobs or solar lights to transform your edging from utilitarian to unique.