Beginner’s Guide to Essential Garden Tools

Getting into gardening is very exciting, but at the same time, it can be overwhelming as well, particularly if you’re a first-time gardener. Everything is new and there’s so much to learn. It’s not just about planting seeds in the soil and waiting for them to grow.

Fortunately, there are many garden tools that can make it easier for you to tend to your new garden but you need to be careful not to go overboard when purchasing them. They can cost a lot and take up a lot of space, so stay focused and make wise and practical choices.

To help you with that, here’s a list of 9 essential garden tools to get you started with your first garden project.

Gardening gloves

Gardening gloves may not seem to be a real tool, but they are an essential accessory that will protect your most valuable tool - your hands. They will also protect your wrists and arms from scratches, callouses, and heavy dirt – cloth, leather, rubber-coated or neoprene gloves.

Pruning shears

Hand pruners, also called secateurs, will help you control those plants that are getting out of control. Anvil-style pruners are ideal for dead wood, bypass pruners are more suited for green wood and live plants, whereas the ratcheting pruners offer more cutting strength so if you have weaker hands due to arthritis, these will be perfect.

When picking this tool, make sure they fit easily in the palm of your hand and keep them regularly sharpened to ensure cleaner cuts and less injury to plants.

Garden knife

A hori hori is the first tool most experienced gardeners recommend as it’s a sturdy, Japanese tool designed to work as a knife, a shovel, a ruler, and a few other things. You can use it for digging holes when planting seeds, for weeding and loosening the soil. It’s a practical tool but if you’re looking for something smaller, more compact but equally practical, consider getting automatic knives – these are also made of excellent materials and feel quite substantial yet easy to carry on around the garden on a daily basis. They’re built for function and longevity, are quite lightweight and ergonomic, which is very important for those long days in the garden.

Round head shovel

Shovels come in a great variety of designs and sizes, but a good-quality round head shovel will take care of most of your digging tasks. You’ll be using it to dig larger holes, break apart dirt, and transplant soil. If you have a container garden, instead of a regular shovel, a hand trowel is the ideal digging tool to transfer soil to containers and transplant seedlings.

The trio – rake, spade and hoe

This must-have trio consisting of a rake, spade and hoe is what will help you complete most of your garden chores. You’ll be using a rake to collect debris and fallen leaves in the garden so as a beginner, you'll benefit most from a leaf rake. Garden rakes are more heavy-duty than that and are typically used for spreading and levelling the soil in the garden.

A spade is used for digging, cutting, and defining edges in the garden. Generally, spade’s handle sizes vary from long or short, and as much as the long ones provide more leverage for cutting, they are also heavier than the short ones. When purchasing your first spade, go for the one that feels comfortable to use and has a strong timber handle with a stainless steel head.

The best tool for cultivating, mounting soil and weeding in your garden is a hoe. They also come in various types depending on the type of garden you have. For a vegetable garden, you’ll need a wide and sturdy hoe, whereas, for a perennial garden, a thinner hoe is ideal.

Garden hose

Water has an essential role in gardening as it keeps the plants hydrated and distributes all the nutrients from the soil to plant cells. Watering your plants regularly can be a tiring activity, so the right watering hose can definitely help.

When picking a hose, consider the material it is made of as it will determine its durability. Hoses are usually heavy-duty and last longer, while vinyl hoses are lightweight, cheap, but not as durable. They also come in different diameters, typically ½ inch, 5/8 inch and ¾ inch. The most widely used types are those with ½ inch in diameter.

Wheelbarrow

A wheelbarrow is a useful piece of equipment when you need to transport fertilizers, plants, tools soils and many other things. However, not all wheelbarrows are practical so be picky. The traditional wheelbarrow with a dual-handle and single wheel is hard to balance especially when fully loaded, and so you have uneven terrain, opt for a single-handle two-wheel model that’s easier to balance.

First-time gardeners don’t need to obsess about having a ton of tools when starting a garden. These 9 essential gardening tools will be enough to start your gardening endeavour and they’ll not only enable you to reduce time and save energy but also improve your safety and efficiency when doing gardening activities.

Guest Contributor: Diana Smith