Drag a hose across the yard or coil it by hand and it picks up twist. A twisted hose relieves that twist by rolling into a loop. Then you tug it to reach the next bed, the loop pulls tight, the wall folds flat, and the water stops.

A hose rarely runs in a straight line. It bends round the corner of the house, the edge of a bed, a pot or a chair leg. Every tight bend is a spot where a loop can form, and where a tug from the far end pulls it closed.

Every metre you’re not using is still lying on the ground, snaking back and forth. More slack gives loops more chances to cross and pull tight.

Hand-coiling a regular hose puts a twist in it with every loop, and those twists are waiting for you next time. The Better Gardens Expandable Garden Hose stretches up to 3× with the tap on. Turn the tap off and it shrinks back, so there’s much less hose to wind up and carry.

Run it in a clear line from the tap, keep it out from under furniture and away from sharp corners, and pick the length that reaches your furthest bed. It comes in 7.5, 15, 22.5 and 30 m. If you water the front and back from one tap, the 30 m is the one most people choose.