7 Essential Gardening Tools You Need
Regardless of what you’re doing in the garden – whether you’re tidying up, growing vegetables or creating a blossoming landscape – these are the top seven essential gardening tools you need in your collection.
Gloves
Sometimes it’s best to start with complete basics. Gardening is challenging work. Gripping onto tools, pulling weeds and carrying thorn filled sticks, your hands bear the brunt of your labour. It is essential you protect your hands with a good pair of gardening gloves.
Tending to the garden is hard enough as it is without the terrible British weather holding you back. Cold temperatures can cause your hands to ache quickly and dry out your skin. Try a pair of thermal gardening gloves to see you through turbulent temperature changes.
Shovel
With a long handle and a scooped blade, a shovel is the best garden tool for digging up, lifting and moving earth. If you’re looking to dig up a section of your garden, a shovel is your go-to tool. The deep scoop makes it convenient for holding material without it spilling out. They also come in handy in winter when heavy snow fills your driveway!
If you’re looking to buy a new shovel, make sure you pick it up and get a sense of the weight as some shovels may have a heavier blade. While this may indicate sturdiness and potential longevity, it could actually be a disadvantage. This is because the weight from the shovel add to the weight of the soil you’re shovelling. You may have to go back and forth several times with this extra weight so keep this factor in mind when you purchase your shovel.
Spade
Unlike a shovel, a spade has a straight, sharp blade and it usually shorter. Though the two tools sometimes get confused for each other, a spade should not be used for digging up large amounts of earth or carrying soil. Instead, use a spade for light cultivation and tasks like reshaping flower beds or digging out deep holes for planting.
Spades will have a handle and step to make it easier for you to use extra force for deeper digs. Insert the blade straight into the ground (at a 90-degree angle) then press your foot onto the step and push straight down. The straight blade will leave uniform lines in your yard.
Hoe
A garden hoe is a versatile garden tool and one of the most essential. The smaller blade enables you to complete more intricate tasks in the garden. As spring emerges, weeds also start to appear. Use your garden hoe tool to sweep or slice the soil in your garden and keep pesky weeds at bay. Disrupting the soil can prevent weeds from germinating – and prevent you from having to pull them out of the ground!
There are several different kinds of garden hoe so make sure you check which one you need for whatever jobs you’re completing in the garden. The most common option is called a draw hoe. This versatile tool will allow you to chop into the soil and break up bigger chunks of earth. For finer tasks, try a scuffle hoe. This will remove the outer layer of soil and easily moves soft soil – great for removing weeds.
Pruning Shears/Secateurs
Pruning shears make for a handy tool that you can carry around the garden with you and use as and when you need to. There are even some handy belts that gardeners can use to keep their smaller hand tools by their side.
Pruning shears are a sharp hand tool that is designed to cut thin bits of wood and plant stems. As the name suggests, you should use your shears for pruning away dead or dying stems, leaves and flowers. This will help your flowers and plants to grow more efficiently and bloom to their full potential!
For any thicker bits of wood, switch to loppers. This will prevent your shears and secateurs from getting blunt.
Wheelbarrow
One guarantee of gardening is that there will most certainly be some heavy materials that need moving. There is only one garden tool that can make it easier to carry these heavy loads. Whether it's concrete for new paving, wood for a fence or the debris from trimming hedges, trees and bushes.
A wheelbarrow is a garden staple. Simply load up your materials and then wheel them around your garden or to your bin or skip. Choose from either steel or plastic material, depending on what you need it for.
A steel wheelbarrow is terrific for heavy-duty work and carrying greater weight. However, they may add more weight and can be prone to rust so it’s better to keep them inside.
A plastic wheelbarrow is much lighter than a steel one and normally less expensive. They are great for carrying things like soil, mulch and smaller plants. However, they cannot hold heavier items and may crack under the weight of them.
Garden Hose & Attachments
Of course, no garden would be complete without a garden hose! Whether your yard is large or small, a garden hose is the most convenient way to hydrate your plants and flowers. In the scorching summer heat, use your hosepipe to water your plants and keep them healthy without having to go back and forth from the tap with a watering can.
Another fantastic benefit of a garden hose is the broad array of attachments you can get. While a standard showerhead will keep your garden green, a power jet washer attachment can help you clean your home and car with ease. The powerful jet of water will sweep the dirt right off without too much effort on your part.
What's your most essential garden tool?
Whether you have a huge landscaping project or some gentle maintenance, having the right tools can make tiring gardening tasks so much easier! Browse our range of garden tools and discover the next addition to your essential gardening tool collection!
