Whether it is a Home garden or a community garden you cannot do much gardening without the proper gardening tools. Gardening tools are essential for carrying out many jobs in and around the garden, jobs such as cutting grass, trimming trees, shrubs and hedges, planting flowers, removing trees, digging the soil, watering plants etc.
There are certain tools necessary to have a healthy and well looked after garden. Although there are many tools available in gardening stores we will consider the 10 essential garden tools that every DIY gardener needs.
The obvious tool missing from the list below is the Lawn Mower. We assume you either already own a lawn mower or don’t require one so we have omitted this from the list.
Trowel
The first essential item on your list should be a trowel that is well made. Whether it is container garden or a large bed, a trowel is necessary to get your seedlings and plants into the soil quickly and easily.
Hoe
A hoe with a long handle helps a gardener handle difficult tasks easily. It is used to help keep the weeds from your garden. This is accomplished by using the hoe to remove weeds when they start to grow.
Careful use of the hoe will help in removing weeds without damaging the roots of your existing plants. Hoe heads come in many shapes and sizes and you can make your choice based on the size of your garden or personal preference.
Hand fork or cultivator
Hand forks are ideal for loosening the soil and cleaning up the beds. It helps to cultivate the soil, work amendment or fertiliser into your soil, and chop up any clumps.
They are absolutely essential in beds that are closely planted. It cuts the compacted hard soil smoothly and is also very useful for aerating, clearing the moss and thatching.
Flower beds and vegetable plots can be easily prepared by using a hand fork or cultivator.
Hand pruners or pruning shears
It is wise to invest in a pair of good quality pruning shears or secateurs, as they are also known. These come in various types and sizes depending on the type of job. They are useful for pruning branches of smaller diameters.
They are very useful for trimming bushes and shrubs. Trimming regularly will make your shrubs bushy and in the desired shape and size. They are very useful for rose plants that require regular pruning.
Also fruit and other trees in your garden which require pruning.
Watering can and nozzles
A watering can with a nozzle that creates a fine spray of water is essential for gently watering seedlings and sprouting seeds, over a large area, without washing them away. Choose one with a long nozzle so that you can reach into heavily planted areas with ease.
A spading fork
A spading fork or gardening fork, is a wonderful garden tool necessary for transplanting and aerating. You can also use it to split ornamental grasses and perennials. In fact, you cannot divide and dig perennials without using a heavy duty spading fork. It can also be beneficially used as a mulch fork, manure fork, and for sorting hay.
Shovels and spades
Shovels and spades come in many different shapes and sizes. The hand hold also comes in shapes like a “T” or a “D”. These are necessary for planting trees, shrubs, moving the soil, breaking the soil and many other jobs throughout the garden.
Spades are very useful for turning the soil and a shovel will help in picking up dug out soil and the disposable of items from your garden. Their blades should be sharp in order to accomplish the jobs easily.
Wheelbarrow or Garden Cart
Again wheelbarrows also come in different shapes and sizes and you have a wide variety to choose from. You cannot do without one especially if your garden is of a decent size. With it you can carry almost anything and everything.
Whether it is for hauling soil from one part of the garden to another, transporting dirt and cement or for transporting common gardening items like compost, plants, mulch, tools or hoses, you will find the wheelbarrow extremely handy.
Without a wheelbarrow you will have to make frequent trips back and forth around the garden which can be really exhausting.
Gardening gloves
Even if you like the feel of soil it is imprudent to work in the garden without proper gloves. Gardening gloves also come in a lot of varieties and materials to best suit the application.
The type you choose will depend on the type of work involved. Leather gloves are good but you cannot use them when handling water or liquid chemicals.
Thus you may need more than one type of glove. Make sure that the pair fits you snugly or you may have to deal with blisters. Also make sure they are prick proof when you are handling rose bushes or other thorny plants.
The simple fact is that you must choose wisely.
Garden hose
You can’t do gardening without water. You will need a good quality garden hose if you don’t want to get exhausted transporting a lot of water. In fact it is the easiest way to transport lots of water quickly and effortlessly.
The best hoses for this purpose are those having 3 or 4 ply thickness and come with brass or metal fittings. Coiled type of hoses need less storage space. They may be a bit more expensive but they are easier to store and transport.
You can also use drip irrigation or soaker hoses if you don’t have the time to water the plants yourself.
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