As the snow is melting from our lawns for those of us who live in harsh winter climate it is time to think of our gardening tools. Those of you who live in a more clement area you also have, at some point, to look at your gardening tools. Some have to be cleaned, some need to be replaced and some you need to buy. Here are suggestions for the beginner and the more proficient Gardenista. Each tool helps you accomplish a specific task. Chose these tools according to your height and strength.
A good gardening tool, a basic, should last a lifetime; it is worth the investment.
- The most important of all, for me, is the secateurs. You will keep it for life, correctly used it is safe and it will do wonders for you. Cutting dead flowers is what will guaranty you a whole season of flowering. Always take your secateurs with you when you go wander your garden. It is the best and my favorite gardening tool. It is essential for Indoor, terrace or outdoor gardening.
- The spade is also an essential gardening tool. You need it for digging, planting and moving soil. It should be sturdy and not too heavy to manipulate.
- The fork is used to move lighter type of soil, dead leaves and compost. While working in borders you will need a hand fork for digging up small plants and weeding. While we are talking about weeding, I cannot stress enough the importance of weeding. There is no handsome garden if there are weeds even just a few.
- The rake is a good gardening tool to level borders and flowerbeds. A large plastic one is useful to rake the leaves off the lawn. (see Lawn rake below).
- The long handled cultivator helps separating clods of soil.
- The watering can for small garden or terraces should not be too big; it would be too heavy to carry around once filled with water. An adaptable spout is always quite useful. I suggest buying a small watering can for children; they usually love helping in the garden especially in the watering task. For larger gardens a hose is essential.
- A wheel barrow will come very handy to cary things like leaves or dirt or your tools around the garden. They can be pricy.
The terrace Gardenista needs these tools in a small size. It is also useful to have them if you have a bigger garden to dig out small plants, rake a small area or any other small job.
These gardening tools do not take into account a certain number of jobs such as: taking care of the lawn, pruning shrubs and cutting hedges. If you do these jobs yourself you need a different set of tools. You need to give it some thoughts.
Lawn mowers
A mechanical or electrical mower is all you will need to keep a small lawn tidy. Power cylinder mowers and rotary mowers need practice. If you think you and your lawn deserve one, get the supplier to give you a “lesson” on your lawn. Tractor mowers are for bigger lawns.
Lawn shears is a good gardening tool. Check the handle height for edging and the horizontal blades for trimming.
Long handle shears are used to cut high or thick branches. They also trim hedges.
The lawn rake, different from the regular rake is used to remove dead leaves from the lawn. It comes in metal or plastic. I prefer plastic as it is easier to clean it.
The edging knife is a must to shape or reshape the corners of the lawn.
Although it’s not a tool, the MOST important thing a Gardenista has to buy first is a good pair of gardening gloves. You might buy a second pair as you will most certainly have some family or friends who will want to help you from time to time.
And of course you need your Iphone to check Gardenista, the App!
Happy Gardening!
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