Watering the garden

Ever since gardeners began growing crops and flowers, the challenge of ensuring their health and survival has always involved providing them with enough water.

Watering cans, a vital tool for watering plants, come in an array of designs ranging from ergonomic and elegant to pretty and playful.

The predecessor of the watering can was a thumb pot.

The ‘Florists Vade Mecum’ (1638) describes how a thumb pot ‘being put into water will fill from the bottom, which will stay in so long as you stop out the air with your thumb at the top; this serves to water young and tender seedlings for by the motion of your thumb you may cause the water to fall gently upon them more or less as you shall desire’.

In the 17th century glazed earthenware pots were introduced and replaced the thumb pot. The Garden Museum’s example is one of a handful to have survived over the centuries; this type of watering device with its short spout and broad rose is a forerunner of the modern watering can.

This beautiful copper can from the second half of the 18th century has decorative brass trimmings and a functional hinged lid for adding water.

The watering can has had many redesigns since the clay thumb pot. One design recognised by the gardening elite, winning a National Chrysanthemum Society Gold Medal award in 1894, was the patented can by John Haws. The design encompassed two handles, one for tipping and one for carrying.

Haws continues to be a leading brand in watering cans creating practical and sleek designs such as this small 1950s copper can.

In the 20th century the invention of plastic enabled a greater variety of new designs which were lighter than their copper and steel counterparts. This malleable material also allowed for creative and sleek designs, such as the ‘Vallo’ produced by Ikea.

Playful designs such as this elephant shaped can may not be practical for watering large numbers of plants but they continue to delight and amuse gardeners.

Watering a large area with watering cans has always been a labour intensive process. Therefore tools to reduce this workload have always been sought after. This painting of a group playing a game of lawn bowls dating from the early 17th century features a wheeled wagon which may have been used to transport water to different areas of the garden.

Many gardeners now rely on hosepipes to water their plants. The earliest pipes were made using leather sewn into tubes. However, these leaked and were cumbersome. Canvas and hemp were also used with different coatings being added to make them waterproof. Patents were still being applied for in the late 19th century for new methods of waterproofing.

Inventors continued to look for new materials to produce hosing and by the time of the International Exhibition in 1851 rubber hosing was being marketed by several companies. One company was producing and advertising a “Hose-reel with garden-hose attached”.

The Victorian era saw mains water becoming more widely available and with it the widespread use of hoses became possible.

Once pressurised water was provided sprinkler attachments were soon developed.

Now that watering the garden is less of a chore gardeners can spend their time contemplating the delights of their plot whilst they give it a good soaking.