Irrigation Systems

I posted a quick reply on your other thread. The website 'Checkatrade.com' has a high profile. You can go onto their site, put your criteria in as a search, then get a list of local tradesmen rated out of ten. Then you could get loose quotes from 3 or 4 of the best as a starting point before parting with any money or committing yourselves

I tried the seep hoses years ago, the sort you lay on or just under soil and the hose is porous and "weeps"

It was OK but I kept putting a fork through it

I think the best sort of system is one I've seen in use at nurseries The type with a drip head for individual plants, controlled I assume by timer at main tap

Sounds a good idea and no cost to you both Eirlys if it works.

I have nt this system but what my son did for me as I can carry any thing he fixed a reel hosepipe to the wall which is connected to the main water from an out side tap he put in for me so all I have to do is turn the outside tap on and pull the hose from the plastic reel which the hose pipe is in and twist the nossel for the water to come out then when finished I just turn the tap off and wind the hosepipe back into the reel by the handle.

An elderly aunt had seep hoses fitted to an outside tap that she could turn on when the garden was dry. she used it for mainly shrubs and it worked well for her. when wet she didn't need to turn it on so didn't. I don't know which company /products she used though. Hoselock have some excellent products so it might be worth chatting to them or look in the advert section of a gardening magazine.

Darren8 : I can't find my original question so haven't been able to check today! Thank you for the tip. The Offspring are going to deal with this and they are adamant that they are getting a system whatever their dad says.

Grandad G : No forking will be done in the areas where watering is needed. Our garden has a LOT of shrubs, as well as a bed of Alstroemerias and Acers and a few small fruit trees. I think I need to do some research and compare my findings with those of the offspring.

3dBit: We have two or three hoses in use but they have to be dragged around and I really don't want to do that; well I can't any longer. We could leave the hosepipes in permanent positions a long as they weren't obtrusive or a hazard. An idea. Thank you.

Seaburn Girl: Hoselock is one company I have checked on. Whatever system is decided on it must be installed by someone who knows what he/they are doing.

Thank you, All, for your kind comments and help : appreciated.

Good luck, hope it's not too much kerfuffle.
Claber is a company that does the really fancy equipment if you want to really make your offspring pay. Little nozzles that pop up from below ground, spray then pop down again all controlled by a computer, it'll cost them a bloody fortune to cover an acre😱

Darren8: I can see them taking it out of their inheritance!! Ha Ha

Daughter did mention something like that, come to think of it. I'll have a look to see what Claber is all about. Thank you.