Gardening Equipment All Gardeners Should Have
Every gardener needs gardening equipment. At least that’s what we tell ourselves as we buy that new ultra-light shovel that’s on sale this week! The fact is, not every gardener has every tool they need and most of us make do with what we’ve got. Improvisation is the key here.
But if you are serious about growing a garden this year, there are several things you absolutely need to have. A shovel, a hoe and a rake are three of the basics. Pruning scissors are another valuable tool that you should add to your arsenal as soon as you can.
Over the year, I’ve amassed quite a collection of equipment, to the point of not having room for them all in my shed. But out of all those tools, my favorites are an old pair of comfortable gloves and my trusty kitchen knife.
If my pruning scissors aren’t handy, the kitchen knife takes their place quite well. If my shovel and hoe aren’t within reach, the tip of the knife usually does the job. And sometimes I don’t even go that far and just use my hands to dig the soil.
It may sound like a disorganized way of gardening, but every gardener knows that if you’re knee-deep in the garden, the last thing you want to do is drop everything to go find a tool.
Having said all that, some jobs really are easier with the proper equipment and it may be worth the time to fetch. One of my other favorites is the garden claw.
I’ve got two styles – one for standing work and one for kneeling. Stick the claw into the soil, give it a twist and pull out. It does an excellent job of loosening the soil and can really help with pulling weeds.
Really the key thing to remember about gardening equipment is that although we might want it, we don’t always need it. Besides it’s always a good thing not to get too attached to your gardening equipment, it makes life easier if you’re not always trotting back and forth between your work patch and the shed. Ultimately you’d not get too much done, (unless you’re using your handy garden claw!).
