Top 10 essential tools for your garden
It can be overwhelming to know what you need when you are getting started gardening, so we’ve put together a guide to the essentials.
1. Gloves
Whether you are planting bulbs or tackling a thorny rose bush, you’ll want a pair of gloves to protect your hands. Look for a pair that are hardwearing, water resistant, and comfortable so you can wear them for longer.
Tip: Leather gloves can give good protection against thorns and prickles.
2. Watering can
If you have a water butt, then a watering can is useful to distribute the fresh rainwater to your plants. It’s also a necessity if you are adding liquid feed to your plants’ water.
Tip: A watering can with a rose attachment will give a more even coverage of water.
3. Secateurs
A good pair of secateurs are a useful addition to any gardener’s toolbox. They can be used to give shape to plants and bushes, to safely cut back rough and thorny stems and branches, to easily remove damaged foliage, and trim overgrown and unwieldy plants.
Tip: Unless you need secateurs for a specific purpose, then go for a bypass pair which are very versatile.
4. Hand tools - trowel and fork
A hand trowel and fork will allow you to work precisely in small areas such as flower beds, pots and containers. There are specialised tools available for specific jobs such as rockery trowels or compost scoops.
Tip: Stainless steel tools are a little more expensive but will last much longer.
5. Hose
Keeping your garden watered is a crucial part of any gardener’s routine. There are a range of garden hoses available, including expandable hoses and anti-kink hoses as well as an enormous choice of accessories that can be connected up.
Tip: Choose a well-known brand like Hozelock if you’ll be wanting to buy accessories to connect up in the future.
6. Spade
Spades can be used for digging holes and trenches, or turning and aerating soil as well as planting. Specialist spades are available such as ground breaker spades, transplanting spades and digging spades.
Tip: A wooden handle will mould to the shape of your hand over time
7. Fork
A garden fork is perfect for loosening, breaking up and oxygenating soils, especially when the soil is rocky or extremely compacted, giving more leverage than a trowel or spade.
Tip: Choose a smaller sized fork for working in beds and borders as it will be less unwieldy.
8. Rake
Rakes can be used to break down soil ready for planting. They can remove small stones, and loosen tough weeds, or level gravel. Lawn rakes can also be used to clear leaves and remove small patches of thatch and moss from your grass.
Tip: The more teeth the rake has, the finer the soil will be.
9. Hoe
A hoe is a very versatile tool for your garden. It can be used to clear soil of weeds, to break up lumpy soil and to create drills to sow a row of seeds in.
Tip: Hoes work best when pushed or pulled through the soil.
10. Shears
Perfect for trimming plants, topiary and ornamental grasses, handheld garden shears allow for a high degree of accuracy for even the most intricate of tasks. There are various styles available depending on the sort of work you need to do.
Tip: Choose a lightweight pair for general hedge trimming to prevent your arms becoming overtired.
