Garden tool kit
Garden tool kits do not need to include a huge selection of tools, but do need to contain the basics. Quality of tool is generally reflected in its price. It is always best to go for the most expensive you can afford. Cheaper tools can be useful for light work, or if you only use them infrequently. The selection of tools assembled below are what I consider to comprise a good gardening toolkit. The first group includes the essential hand tools for all gardens, large and small. Further down the page you will see how your gardening tool kit will need to expand as required.
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Trowel A small spade for digging holes. |
Hand fork A small fork for braking up soil. |
Secateurs A hand-held pruning tool. |
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String Use for all manner of tying requirements. |
 Gardening gloves Offer protection from thorns and spiky plants. |
Scissors Use for all manner of cutting requirements. |
This second group is made up of all the long handle tools that you need for your garden. For a small garden, unless you plan a lot of landscaping, the shovel won’t be necessary, but you’ll certainly need the fork and spade. Also, if you only have flower beds and no lawn, you may not have a need for the wire rake.
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Fork Use for braking up the soil when digging over areas. |
Spade A multipurpose digging tool. |
Shovel Use to move larger quantities of material around. |
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Soil Rake Use to level and even the soil surface and composition. |
Broom Use for all manner of clearing up jobs (a dust pan and brush is also useful). |
Wire rake Use to gather leaves or grass clippings from the lawn. |
We now get onto the sundries, still vital for most gardeners, but again the need will certainly depend on garden size.
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Wheelbarrow Use to move heavier materials or awkward objects around the garden. |
Garden hose and watering can A hose is essential in larger gardens, but with smaller ones all you may need is a watering can. |
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Hoe Use to till soil and clear surface weeds. |
Edging shears Use for keeping border edges perfectly trimmed. |
Half-moon edging iron Ideal for cutting through grass edges to neaten a border edge. |
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Shears Use for pruning bushes and hedges as well as trimming the edge of the lawn. |
Pruning saw Use for larger pruning requirements, such as shrubs and small trees. |
Sieve Will remove lumps and stones when finely tilled soil is required. |
Tool tips
- Build up a tool kit according to your immediate needs. Start with the basic essentials before expanding your collection to more specific equipment, as the jobs you take on in the garden have different and more demanding requirements.
- I always recommend the Spear and Jackson range as a good starting point for assembling a toolkit as they offer a good range of tools in all price ranges. Amazon offer literally all their tools
and are worth checking for any good deals.
- You will have noticed that the above selection doesn’t include mowers and power tools – don’t worry – they’re the subject of future posts.
- A final thought is that tool design is important when you make choices. Many tools are now made of lighter weight materials, and have ergonomic designs that make their use much easier. It is worth taking some time to look at the options available, so that you choose the most suitable and comfortable for your needs.
