Wondering what gardening tools you need to keep up with your garden?
What you need depends on what you are wanting to do and where….Are you planting shrubs or trees…Trying to completely carve out a new garden space or are you just wanting to plant some flowers in an already established bed?
The list I’m providing is for those looking to maintain their flower beds, planting anything from seeds up to small trees…..to creating beautiful planters full of flowers. This is not the full list of tools that you can take you into a wooded area next to your house and expect to come out with a spot ready for planting.
Here’s the list
- Gloves
- Hand trowel
- Hand-held “curved claw” cultivator (scratches up the soil)
- Pruning shears
- Flower Snippers
- Garden rake
- Gardening Hoe
- Shovel (long-handled)
- Pick
- Wheel barrel or garden cart (of some sort)
If I’m working a good distance away I’ll usually grab the wheel barrel. And if I’m planting gallon-size and up or I’m working with tough soil I will definitely throw in my shovel, pick, and generally, some water jugs unless of course, the hose will reach.
I have one other gardening tool that I did not put on the list that has quickly become one of my favorites and this is an apron….and in it, I usually have my gloves, snippers, seeds, the smaller hand trowel, etc.. I also find myself wearing this throughout the day whenever outside with my 4-year-old so that where ever we venture…I’m ready…to plant, dig, snip…you name it.
So, let’s go down the list…
1.) I have two favorite kinds of gloves…the thick leather ones I got from Lowes and the green ones from my local nursery. I use the leather ones for the tougher jobs (especially to avoid splinters from some of my old beat-up wooden tools) and the tight-fitting ones for handling the plants (so I can better feel what I’m doing.)
3.) The green-handled pruners work well for cutting woody perennials, shrubs, clipping weeds..etc. The two snippers on the right are lightweight and just right for cutting flowers to enjoy. Just be sure to clean them after you use them.
These guys are easy to find and pretty inexpensive. I believe I got the orange snippers at Lowes ( Fiskar brand) and the other two I found at the dollar store.
4.) The Curved-Claw Cultivator is good for sowing seeds! You just scratch up the ground really well and toss in your seeds…wa’la’.
5.) The little Hand Trowel is great for digging and planting anything under a gallon…given the soil is workable. I think I found this one at Lowes for like $5 or $6. So pretty inexpensive!
From Left To Right……
6.) Hoe…This tool comes in handy when you’re trying to break up chunky soil (allows you to chop it up a bit more evenly) to better plant young plants or seeds. It is also good for removing chunks of weeds.
7.) Garden rake…This is not your lite leaf rake, this one is heavy-duty. Intended for removing heavy debris of sorts…sticks, stones, heavier brush..etc.. Good for clearing out a new area for planting!
8.) Pick…Now this I use, usually in conjunction with the shovel. It makes for digging deep holes much easier and works better for tougher earth. Also my “go-to” for cutting through tough roots.
9.) Long handled-Shovel…Great for when the ground is tough or I’m trying to plant something…say…a gallon-size or larger.
10.) Wheel Barrel or Garden Cart….Just any ol’ heavy duty one from your local hardware store will do…works best for the larger, heavier tools. There are also the smaller plastic carts that work great as well (will easily accommodate a bag of soil, some gallon perennials, watering can, and a few tools) and I found the one in the pic about 10 years ago at a yard sale. And then there are the wooden garden carts, which I have yet to get, but I love!
Now you need something to plant and if it’s a sunny spot, here’s a list of “6 Must Have Flowers For Your Perennial Garden”.
Now grab some tools and go play in the dirt!