A watering can is a portable container, usually with a handle and a spout, used to water plants by hand. It has existed since at least the 17th century and has since been improved. It is used for many other uses too, as it is a fairly versatile tool.

The capacity of the container can be anywhere from 0.5 litres for use with household plants to 10 litres for general garden use. It can be made out of either metal

Metal

A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...

, ceramic

Ceramic

A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...

 or plastic

Plastic

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

.

At the end of the spout (a long tube originating at the bottom of the container), a "rose" (a device like a cap with small holes) can be placed to break up the stream of water into droplets to avoid excessive water pressure on the soil or on delicate plants.

John Cleese, in a 1963 Cambridge University Footlights Review ("Cambridge Circus") sketch "Judge Not" described a watering can as: "a large, cylindrical, tin-plated vessel with a perforated pouring piece, much used by the lower classes for the purpose of artificially moistening the surface soil".

History

The term "watering can" first appeared in 1692, in the diary of keen cottage gardner Lord Timothy George of Cornwall. Before then, it was known as a "watering pot".

In 1885 the "Haws" watering can was patented by Michael Deas. He replaced the top mounted handle with a single round handle at the rear.

Watering cans are now used in everyday life for many different things. See below.

Modern Day Uses

Watering cans are used for watering plants, as ornaments and regularly in symbolic art pieces

In Popular Culture

Watering cans have been shown in modern culture.

• On her website, Martha Stewart
  Martha Stewart
  Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
  
   suggests using watering cans to shower the feet after working and getting dirty.
• Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir
  Pierre-Auguste Renoir
  Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty, and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "Renoir is the final representative of a tradition which runs directly from Rubens to...
  
   painted a work entitled A Girl with a Watering Can
  A Girl with a Watering Can
  A Girl with a Watering Can is an Impressionist painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir from 1876. The work was apparently painted in Monet's famous garden at Argenteuil. This painting is of Mademoiselle Leclere in her blue dress.-External links:*...
  
  .

External Links

• Martha Stewart's Website