We had the same problem early this summer. Our hose sprung a leak but my husband was able to fix it easily and cheaply.
He bought a hose-pipe connector at Wilkinsons for less than £1, cut out the few inches of pipe where it was split, and then rejoined the two pieces of hose using the connector. It has worked perfectly well ever since.
Jill

Yes, great idea Jill, I have used this idea and it does work. We used a good quality brass fitting for extra durability. I have found the plastic types are not quite as tough when you are regularly rolling the hose up. You can custom make the length of your hose to the exact size of your yard.

If it is beyonhd repair you could puncture it with small holes along its length , block the end and attach to a water butt ( or tap) to allow for trickle wateroing your garden.

You can use it like rope to tie things, swing from things, etc.

If you have an earwig problem in your area you can use old garden hose to trap them. Cut the hose into pieces about 4 inches and then place in cool shaded places in your garden (or along the edges of your house). The earwigs love the cool, dark, narrow space provided by the hose and all you have to do to kill them is to pick up the hose and submerge it in a bucket of water.

Why bother killing earwigs?
What damage do they do?

we’re in sever water restrictions here in Brisbane so our hoses where just getting old and stiff. I’d seen some wicker work garden edging done and decided to make my own with the hose and a few stakes. It works and looks great. A friend of mine wove hers into a heave duty laundry basket.

You could cut them up and use them for sturdy handles for homemade baskets or paper mache’

i’m from texas-what is an earwig? You can slip sections of hose over the chains on children’s swings-keeps their little fingers from getting pinched.

You can use different lengths to protect trees that need to be tied and staked. Rope, wire, etc. cuts into the trunks, but if you thread them through a piece of the hose the damage is minimized.
Also if you have kitchen utensils,or hand tools that have metal handles, you can use small pieces of hose over the handles to keep hands from blistering.

Use some old rope threaded thru a few off cuts and tie rope ends together, makes great dog toy/pull

Cut a length and use it to cover teeth of saw or other sharp garden implements, cut it along the length carefully and slide it along the cutting edge.