Many thanks for the responses- that's quite a lot to think about. I'll follow
up on the non-watering philosophy as that seems very intelligent. And I think
I've found a hose for those times when only watering will do- I've been
reading some of the instructions here and there for looking after new
roses/hedging/etc and there are several injunctions to never let the things
dry out for the first year. So I'm going to play safe in some areas and have
a hose anyway, but probably not rely on it anywhere near as much as I thought
I would. Bakker do a cheap one on a reel that looks as good as anything else
does for thirty quid, and at least that way it can be coiled up and put out
of the way, without which a hose is a bit of a nightmare in a small garden
attached to a very small flat!

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