(Photo Source: noobie.com)
All the necessities for creating beautiful greenery!
Gardening tools can take up a lot of space and cost a lot of money since it’s not hard to go overboard. Instead, focus on the essentials, and as your garden grows, you’ll be able to expand your knowledge on tools as well.
Gloves are the first on the list and the most prominent item. They should be water-resistant, not too bulky, breathable, and just the right size. It’s essential for them not to be too thin or too thick: you don’t want to cut yourself or be unable to work correctly with seeds.
Hand pruners, or secateurs, help reign in plants that are getting out of control. Pruners should fit smoothly into your hand, and you have to make sure they are sharped regularly. There are two types of pruners you’ll need: anvil ones are best for dead wood, while bypass pruners are better for existing plants and greenwood.
Metal watering cans are more expensive than plastic ones, but they’ll last longer. The ones with two handles are great for kids and elderly, though, if you aren’t that strong, you can use it yourself. The sizes depend on your needs, including your strength.
Water is the essence of your garden’s life, so having a hose that can reach and sprinkle every area is a must. When you are choosing a garden hose, keep in mind the length, which affects the pressure. Vinyl hoses are lighter and less expensive but tend to kink easier and don’t last as long as rubber construction.
When leaves fall, your strong rake is there to whisk them away. Rakes come in a variety of styles and sizes, but a great starter is a regular leaf rake.
Spade is a short-handled square shovel. These items are essential, since they make easy work of digging holes for plants, trimming, lifting sod, and moving small piles of dirt from one area to another. The tool is pricey, but if you pick a good one, it will last a lifetime.
Trowels are excellent for resetting plants and herbs, planting containers, and taking out weeds. Select a wide blade to move more soil or a long, narrow blade to dig up weeds or for solid ground.
Loppers are another cutting tool, similar, yet longer than pruners. There are anvil and bypass types, just like with the pruners. Since they can be heavy, you have to know what you’ll be cutting and how far you’ll need to reach.
Finally, a garden fork is a useful, efficient tool for turning soil, garden forks can dig into dense soil better than a spade. The ones with a slight curve are useful for scooping mulch or turning compost piles, much like a pitchfork. Straight tines are more suitable for digging, great for compacted, rocky, or clay soil. Square tines are stronger than flat tines, which can bend when they hit a rock or root.
That’s all the tools you will need to start your first garden. Keep your tools clean and dry, away from the sunlight, and rain.