Favorite Tools
One of the best things I ever bought- my portable greenhouse
Everyone has their absolutely favorite tools, I’m sure. You know- the ones that you always grab first when heading out to the garden. The Felco pruners, beat up garden gloves, a favorite hand cultivator- that sort of thing. I sure seem to collect a lot of different gardening tools- the latest fad, or nifty gadget- my garage is full of them, some in nearly new condition, and I bet yours is too. There are some though that I just can’t do without, I use them frequently, take them with me if I am working on someone else’s garden, just in case they don’t have the things I find are easiest to use. I have found that gardeners tend to buy pretty good tools, but sometimes non-gardeners buy cheesy cheap tools that just don’t cut it, and I’d rather have my own.
Pruners- Felco, gotta have ’em. I have others, some are rusted shut, some barely cut, and I have a pair just for cutting flowers and harvesting veggies, but the Felco’s are one of my prized tools, they have their own holster with a pocket clip, and I keep them sharp. Felco Store
Trowel with serrated tip- great for fitting a plant into an established garden, especially under a tree, dividing perennials or slicing through tough soil to break it up. A.M. Leanard has a soil knife that I like, comes with a scabbard for it, but I prefer the one that has more of a scoop shape that I found a few years ago. A.M. Leonard
Hand cultivator- almost a no-brainer, my favorite has a claw, triangle hoe combo head. Two tools in one, I mostly use the cultivator, but the hoe is right there handy for making a furrow for seeds, digging a hole for planting annuals, or to use the side of to bang the soil off of a clump of grass or weeds before tossing it into my 5 gallon pail.
5 gallon pail- available free from a bunch of places, or you can buy one for a few dollars- great for weeding, holding potting soil, transporting those divided perennials to a new bed, or even as a planter with the addition of some drainage holes. Empty ones not put away sometimes make a great rain gauge.
Winged weeder- this is one I seldom use at home, but insist on taking to other’s gardens. It’s a hoe with a triangle shaped tip that you slide under the surface of the soil, slicing off and uprooting weeds with a backward and forward motion- very low impact and easy, wonderful for garden maintenance if things aren’t too tightly planted. Winged Weeder
Adjustable rake- I’ve had mine for years and years and I love it! Very gentle, the width is adjustable for raking a wide area, or quickly can be changed in width to get into a tight space, or make the tines tighter to rake smaller debris. It takes the leaves off the ground-covers without ripping it up, doesn’t displace any soil, shred the lawn, or get completely jammed with leaves. Adjustable Rake at Garden Coverall
Watering wand- This one you probably have- I generally have a couple of them around. Great for watering pots, some have adjustable heads, adjustable sprays, triggers, extensions for gutters, padded handles- you name it, it’s on a watering wand- I love them! They are terrific for getting the water right to the root zone without bending or stooping. Homestead Helpers
Portable Greenhouse- Great for hardening off plants outdoors, simply close it up if a frost threatens. The one I have sets up in minutes- it’s like a clear plastic tent really. Equally easy to take down and stores in it’s own carry bag. Will last for years, and is fairly inexpensive. Terrific if you simply don’t have the room or the dollars for a ‘real greenhouse’. Various designs and configurations are available, from low cold frame styles like mine, to large walk-in and lean-to types. Portable Greenhouses mine is like this one
Other tools like a shovel, trowel, edger, etc, are also important, but are pretty basic, available just about anywhere, and are pretty much all the same. These items I’ve listed are just ones I’ve found to be the most used by me as making things easier, faster, and more efficient. Here are a couple of places I found on line to take a look at tools- I haven’t purchased from them yet, but probably will when I need new toys, ER, I mean tools:
See you in the Garden!
Ellen Leigh
