I have a neat little idea I thought I'd share. After having one too many hoses chewed up by the lawnmower, I decided to put my hoses underground. I can't afford a big fancy installed watering system, and this "cheapo" version works pretty well.
First, I dug a small trench thru the lawn from the outdoor faucet to the vegetable garden. The trench is maybe 6-8 inches deep and only about 4-6 inches wide. IT DOES NOT NEED TO BELOW THE FROST LINE. In my garden, the distance from faucet to garden was about 60 feet. This was an easy dig, a lot easier than I expected (I did it in early spring when soil was soft. And I did not have to go through any hard surfaces (sidewalks, etc.)
Then, I bought some 1 1/2 PVC pipe at Lowe's in 10-foot lengths, plus the connectors to link it all up. Plus two 45-degree "elbows" that go on either end: one where the hose goes in, one where the hose comes up.
Just lay the pipe into the trench, thread through the hose, cover over the trench and there you are: hose underground.
Here's 3 hints. 1. It's much easier to thread the hose through the pipe BEFORE the pipe is all connected and underground. In other words, sort of string the pipe onto your hose like it's a giant string of "beads." Or, string a piece of clothesline or tough rope through the pipe as you're laying it so you have something to pull the hose through the pipe with.
2. I glued my pvc pipe and connectors together (with PVC cement), but I don't think that's absolutely necessary, especially if you intend to leave the hose in place permanently. (If you're going to be pulling it out and putting it back you'll want solid, smooth joints or the hose can hang up.) 3. ALWAYS leave something threaded through the pipe, either the hose itself or a piece of rope. Trying to wee-jee a hose through a pipe (esp. if it's a long one) is a frustrating slow job.
You can pull the hose out and store it for winter if you want, but I've left mine in place for YEARS and had no problems. (We routinely have below freezing winters) The trick is to make sure it's empty of water at the end of the season. Usually just disconnecting it from the faucet and taking off any sprinklers at the "output" end and letting it sit for a few weeks is enough to evaporate out any water. Or, if you have a compressor, you can "blow the line" with a shot of air.
I've got two long lines of these "underground hose conduits" in my yard (8 years and counting) and I'm planning to install two more this fall. It's a real time saver, no more pulling in and laying out hoses.
