Sprinkling Is Just the Beginning

You’ve seen those slowly turning streams of water that trace elegant aquatic arcs at golf courses and parks and on big estates. These sophisticated sprinklers are whisper-quiet wonders with water-powered, gear-driven, rotating sprays mounted in larger rotating heads. They can be mesmerizing to watch and make not a sound.

Now you can plunk one of these efficient high-tech sprinklers in the middle of your lawn, pull up a few lawn chairs and invite your neighbors over to watch this one-sprinkler water ballet. The gear-driven model 526 Irrigator is a home-garden unit made by the Israeli firm Naan, and it can evenly water up to a 75-foot diameter circle.

This sprinkler is based on an underground design, but it’s mounted to a sled or a spike so it’s movable. The water is delivered slowly so the sprinkler must run for longer periods than most, but that gives the water a chance to soak in, which makes this technology especially useful on a slope. The model 526 costs about $14 and is available at nurseries and garden outlets.

Naan has also tweaked the old-fashioned oscillating lawn sprinkler so you can change the style of spray, the spray width, intensity and the arc covered, all for about $30.