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Essential garden tools
Introduction
This is a personal selection based on years of experience, including maintaining gardens for clients.
Starting gardening doesn't require a full tool shed. They also come in a wide price range from a few pounds (my pruning saw cost £5) to hundreds of pounds for investment pieces.
One practical piece of advice: hand tools with brightly coloured handles are less likely to get lost amongst plants when you're working outside.
Starting gardening doesn't require a full tool shed. They also come in a wide price range from a few pounds (my pruning saw cost £5) to hundreds of pounds for investment pieces.
One practical piece of advice: hand tools with brightly coloured handles are less likely to get lost amongst plants when you're working outside.
Border spade
The border spade is slightly smaller than a digging spade, which prevents trying to lift too much soil at once. Its size, lighter weight and ‘Y’ grip reduce back strain. The handle is traditionally ash but they also come in man-made materials. The steel blade should have a flattened 'comfort tread' at the top to aid the placement of the foot when digging.
Border fork
The border fork is slightly smaller than the digging fork. A partner to the border spade, it has the same comfortable 'Y' grip. The smaller size also makes it more manoeuvrable for working in between plants, hence its name.
Cape Cod weeder
My most used tool and a personal preference over the hand fork or the Dutch hoe. Designed long ago in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Use the L-shaped blade parallel to the soil as a mini-hoe to take out weeds, or tip-first to weed within plants and to break up the surface.
Working close to the soil, it gives much more control than the long-handled Dutch hoe (that can often lop off precious plants by accident).
Save your back by getting a good kneeler to reduce bending over.
Working close to the soil, it gives much more control than the long-handled Dutch hoe (that can often lop off precious plants by accident).
Save your back by getting a good kneeler to reduce bending over.
Hand trowel and bulb trowel
Use a hand trowel for planting and also mixing compost and filling pots.
The bulb trowel (sometimes called a transplanting trowel) is narrower, with a more pointed tip and often has measurements on the blade to aid in burying bulbs at the correct depth.
The bulb trowel (sometimes called a transplanting trowel) is narrower, with a more pointed tip and often has measurements on the blade to aid in burying bulbs at the correct depth.
Secateurs and long loppers
If you grow any kind of shrub or roses you will need a sharp pair of secateurs for pruning, or even cutting blooms for the house. They can also be used for cutting back most herbaceous growth and deadheading to encourage reflowering.
Long loppers are essential if you want to cut anything much thicker than a pencil. This can include older growth on rose bushes. The leverage of the long handles helps reduce the strain on you and forcing your secateurs beyond their ability.
Long loppers are essential if you want to cut anything much thicker than a pencil. This can include older growth on rose bushes. The leverage of the long handles helps reduce the strain on you and forcing your secateurs beyond their ability.
Pruning saw
The pruning saw is the next step up from long loppers. It cuts as you pull the saw towards you. Usually small and nimble to get in amongst the older branches of shrubs. They generally fold into themselves for safety when not is use.
Sharpening tools
These come in a myriad of options, from a simple needle file for a couple of pounds, to specially shaped tools to make sharpening easier.
Sharp tools use less physical effort. Also consider sharpening the edge of your border spade (though not so sharp that you cut your through your boot) as this will make it easier to cut through roots or lift turf.
Sharp tools use less physical effort. Also consider sharpening the edge of your border spade (though not so sharp that you cut your through your boot) as this will make it easier to cut through roots or lift turf.
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