Southern Agrarianism and the culture of the Old South

A Wash Station for the Garden

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I have wanted a place to wash vegetables and eggs without bringing dirt into the house and without having to stoop near a water spigot or juggle a garden hose. When my brother came across a scrapped stainless steel hospital cart, I had found what I was looking for. I cut the bottom part of it off to bring it down to a comfortable working level.

It is setting on blocks that are arranged so that it tilts back and to the left to control drainage. A section of PVC pipe was cut to form a gutter that drains the water off into the garden. I used 1 1/4″ PVC, but I may rebuild that part and use a larger diameter pipe for the gutter and drain. It works well for the flow of water that I would normally use, but if the valve is opened for a greater flow, it is more than that pipe can drain away and it starts splattering on the ground rather than going into the garden.

Below the working surface, a standard hose bib is available if needed.

Below the working surface, a standard hose bib is available if needed.

The water comes out of the "shower head" removed from a "water wand" from the hardware store.

The water comes out of the “shower head” removed from a “water wand” from the hardware store.

Stainless steel wire is used to secure the valve to the fence post.

Stainless steel wire is used to secure the valve to the fence post.

2 Comments

  1. Sandi Lee

    You ought to market these-they would be great for cleaning fish too!

    • Stephen Clay McGehee

      I figure the best way is to just toss the idea out there for others who might want to build their own. If someone wants to market and sell them, I hope they do well at it.

      I had thought about having something like this for a while, but what really made me decide to do it was when I was butchering a chicken. This wash station would have made that a whole lot easier. Frankly though, I take it a step farther and just get my chicken from the grocery store. I’m glad that I now know how to do it, but it’s more time and trouble than it’s worth. If the grocery store no long had them though, then it’s a whole different story.

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