Must Have Garden Tools!

by John Grieves
(Norwich, Norfolk, UK)

Whether you are testing out your green thumb or have been in the hobby business of gardening for many years, it’s important that you are using the right tools to prune, dig, water and weed.

If you are not, there is a good chance you are wasting a lot of time and effort and your garden is not up to the standard you had hoped for.

Never fear. Below we’ve listed the top five must have garden tools for any bright and beautiful garden.

Pruning Shears:

Pruning is an important part of the gardening process used for light shrub and rose pruning as well as cutting back perennials and deadheading. Pruning shears provide a clean cut that will not pinch the stems and are designed for plants.

There are several different types of pruning shears out there including lopping pruners and hand pruners. Choose pruning shears that are designed for your flower bed and shrubbery. Lopping pruners are usually best for thicker branches while hand pruners work best with smaller plants and bushes.

Digging Spade:

Unless you have a dog that loves to dig exactly where you command him to, then you are going to need a digging spade. Digging spades can actually make digging fun as they take the place of using your fingers.

Make sure you choose a digging spade with a varnished hardwood handle for a more comfortable grip. Digging spades are best used for loosening up hard dirt in your garden. Another option is a garden fork which can lift out those extra tough soil spots.

Garden Rake:

Leaves are bound to fall in the summer and they will not make an exception when it comes to your garden. Garden rakes are pretty standard at any hardware or grocery store and come in various styles and materials including plastic, steel and wood.

Fall leave cleanup is inevitable so why not make it fun by choosing a brightly colored rake in a flirty red or purple?

Watering Hose:

Finally, you are going to most certainly need a high quality garden hose. The best garden hoses are those with at least four to six ply thickness. Try a watering wand extension to project the perfect volume of water onto your garden.

Additional Tools:(if budget permits)

Additional gardening tools would include a weeder, garden knife, hedge shears and a wheelbarrow to help with the excess dirt, weeds and fallen leaves.

By making sure you have all of these basic gardening tools available will ensure that you are equipped to handle pretty much any job that is thrown at you within the garden