There are at least two excellent reasons for using soaker hoses*: They save water (and consequently, lower your water bill) and they reduce the risk of several plant diseases. But despite having this knowledge, I've never had soaker hoses. I always thought I couldn't afford to invest in them. Then I took a trip to Wal-Mart. And there I happened upon 75 feet of Gilmour Flat Soaker Hose for under $15. When I saw the hose had a lifetime warranty, I snatched one up and installed it in my side garden. As it happens, 75 feet is plenty long to water my side garden, which is troublesome to care for. It's near the street, so I always felt I had to hand water it in the evenings, when my hubby was around to watch the kids. This was inconvenient, and led to a powdery mildew problem. (Watering in the evening is generally a bad idea because there's not enough sun to evaporate moisture on plant leaves, thereby leading to diseases like powdery mildew.)

Now...may I just say I love my soaker hose? I can just hop outside, turn on the hose, and walk away. And I know I'm conserving water and saving money because the water now goes right on the ground, near the plant roots - not all over the leaves where it evaporates, never doing the plant good. I also conducted this experiment: I ran my soaker hose with the faucet turned on all the way and placed a measuring cup beneath one part of it. After an hour, I check the water level in the measuring cup. It was overflowing! Normally, I run the sprinkler for two or three hours in my backyard garden and get only two inches of water down. So the soaker hose is quick and efficient. Tomorrow, I'm gonna go out and buy another soaker hose for my backyard veggie bed. * Some so-called soaker hoses spray water in the air. This is not the type you want. The type that gently drip water onto the ground are sometimes called "weeper" hoses. Read product packaging carefully before you buy!