John Haws
English watering cans
When John Haws set about designing a watering can in the 1880s he simply intended to overcome the problems he had encountered in his own garden. But, like all truly great designers, he let function dictate form and the Haws professional watering can set a standard that remains unchallenged. This was the beginning of the famous Haws galvanized watering can.
Today the home of Haws Watering Cans is a rambling factory unit in Smethwick, in the West Midlands. But the story began with a civil servant who wanted to beat the French. John Haws was stationed in Mauritius in the 1880s. He was a keen gardener and took against the new-fangled French 'water pots' that were used there. The French idea was sensible - the handle, instead of just being attached to the back of the body, continued over the top of the watering can and joined the spout in one long curve. This meant that there was more to get hold of, and you could use both hands to lift a full can.
But the French, Haws thought, hadn't got it right. The can never balanced, it was awkward to carry, a strain to pour from and it always gave you backache. But, it was all there was. Haws retired and returned to England during the heyday of professional gardening on England's landed estates. This is where the name English watering can comes from.
The Lea Valley in East London, where Haws lived, was packed with nurseries, smallholders and busy private gardeners during the second half of Queen Victoria's long reign. With nothing to do, Haws - who had no engineering experience - began tinkering with a design for a watering can that wouldn't make your back ache, soak your feet, wash plants out of their pots, or fall apart. What he came up with, patented in 1885 and perfected over the next few years, remains virtually unchanged and has never been bettered.
