Essential Garden Tools
A few good garden tools will make your gardening easier, efficient and more enjoyable.
Just don’t get caught up in having the latest, greatest, best, most expensive tools available. Know when and how to invest in good quality. Experienced gardeners learn which tools are most important for the way they work in the garden and whether extra quality and bells and whistles is worth extra investment. But if you are just starting with gardening or just looking for you next tool, this guide will help you determine what you need.
When you shop for tools, try to do it in person. It is very helpful to feel the tool in your hands and mimic using it to evaluate. Is it too heavy? Does the handle feel too long? Too short? Is the grip too big? Does the grip fit my hand well?
Determine the quality level you need. A trowel is constantly used and worth every penny you spend on good quality. But if you want a tool that you will only used once in a while, perhaps a short shaft D handle fork, or bulb trowel, well maybe you can cut back on quality and price. Or just hang on to that ordinary shovel you have that works just fine rather than upgrading. Look for tools with wood handles or coated metal for comfort, strength and light weight. Top quality tools will be made with stainless steel, tempered steel, carbon steel. For strong joints look for single forged or solid socket.
Must Have Garden Tools
An unbendable unbreakable garden trowel is essential. You will use it constantly. I have three, you will learn how you like to use trowels and add to your collection as time goes on. I have a comfort grip standard scoop trowel for planting and potting in general. I have a wide, flatter, sharp trowel for larger or tougher digging, for example in my boulevard garden and for “cutting” around perennials for lifting them to divide. I also have a very long thin trowel with inch markings for planting bulbs.
A hand tool garden fork will be used constantly working around plants, disrupting weed sprouts, working in compost and loosening up soil for planting.
Well fitting garden gloves of thin fabric will protect your hands and cuticles, but also allow for dexterity when planting and weeding.
A kneeling pad, trust me, just get one.
A kink resistant garden hose long enough to reach your furthest corners will reduce your frustration of fighting the hose. I have been hearing good things about the newer coiled and expandable hoses and finally they are available longer than 50 feet. That will be my next investment.
Watering can, ideally with a wide head with small holes that delivers a gentle spray.
Multi pattern hose sprayer to adjust from jet spray to fine mist. Jet spray for hard surface cleanup, shower for watering plants and fine mist for watering new seed and seedlings.
Unless your garden is very small you will need a full size round head shovel. You will use it to dig in the garden, incorporate amendments, and dig planting holes for shrubs, trees and larger perennials.
Pruning shears is a must if you have shrubs. Deciduous and evergreen shrubs can quickly over grow their space if you don’t keep them pruned. Pruning shears are also very useful for cutting back old foliage from sturdy perennials in the spring.
Basic scissors will be used constantly for cutting back spent blooms, cutting herbs, pruning back perennials and cutting twine or plant ties.
A sturdy hand pruner will step in where a scissor isn’t enough. Snipping off dead limbs, pruning rose bushes or cutting flowers with sturdier stems.
Nice to Have Garden Tools
More garden gloves with options such as latex coating, reinforcing sturdy leather fingertips or leather palms.
A small hand rake/shrub rake is nice for pulling leaves and debris from under bushes and plants easily without damaging the plants. Certainly you can use your lawn rake with care.
Multi pattern hose wand is especially nice to improve reach into your gardens or hanging baskets with an angled wand.
A garden stool is nice for certain chores. Although I do find it does not put me in the right position for most work and shuffling it along with me is not particularly convenient.
A long handled fork/cultivator or hoe is really nice for lightly working in compost, disrupting weed sprouts and smoothing soil or mulch.
A short handled diamond head spade is great for dividing tough perennial root balls, digging up plants for transplant, root pruning, or any time you need a straight down cut.
Grass shears not only trim grass along edged gardens but are perfect for deadhead shearing of fine perennials like cranesbill geraniums.
Luxury Garden Tools
Garden gloves with extra long sleeves for arm protection are really nice to save you from getting all scraped up, especially working around shrubs are woody perennials.
Rose pruning gloves are even better, especially of course if you grow roses.
Hori-hori is a Japanese gardener’s knife. It is handy for so many things: tough digging or planting, weeding, cutting through root, dividing perennials, popping a starter hole in something, slicing through landscape fabric. I do have one but selected a very sturdy but very inexpensive knock off.
Mobile caddy or wagon is certainly handy if you have a large property. You can transport all necessities with you as you work around the landscape.
You can get a stirrup hoe, mulching fork, a hoe, a weeder with short or long handle, a shrub rake, a potato hook, and so many more garden tools. As you expand your gardens and plants you will eventually want more specialized tools.
There are a LOT of garden tools available to you. Don’t get ahead of yourself, wait until you have a clear need and then select the right tool. Early on try to select multi purpose tools and wait for specialty single purpose tools until you are sure of your needs.
Now that you have the tools you need, be sure to store them properly and keep them clean and sharp. Hang long handled tools from pegs or hooks so the edges don’t contact each other and become dull. Small hand tools are easily stored in a tool bucket or bag that can be carried in the garden with you.