Ms. Eudora’s Garden Tool Blog

When gardening, the proper tools are equally important as what you are planting. Proper garden tools are essential for cultivation and soil conditioning. One mistake commonly made more often than one might think is using the wrong tool for the job to be performed.

Layout your garden designs either in your mind or on paper before making that trek down to your local garden center. Knowing where your garden will be located and what you plan on planting are your next steps.

Garden tools are not cheap and cheap ones don’t usually last long. When you buy the right tool for the given job, you will be sure that it can handle the given job. There are 10 must have basic garden tools to begin your garden and they come in different sizes. Knowing the difference can prevent you from buying something that you don’t need, won’t use or is too big or too small. Check the list below for the essential Must Haves:

Must Have Garden Tools

Pruners: Use for light shrubs, pruning roses and cutting back perennials in the Fall ( a must have)
Lopping Pruners: Optional pruners but makes cutting down thick branches and shrubs easier

Spades and Shovels: Spades are meant for working, prying and loosening dirt, a good tool to have when edging a garden and firming down soil more of a precision digger than a shovel. Buy rounded shovels for digging and planting trees and shrubs. A small hand spade is ideal for working soft loose soil in your flower beds. If you prefer spades and shovels with wooden handles make sure they have a varnished finish and are a comfortable fit in your hands and don’t feel too heavy, and always try to buy the ones that have forged metal heads and handles and fit snugly and securely into the shaft they’re always a good choice.

Soil Rakes: an ideal tool for leveling soil and removing small pebbles and stones.

Garden Rakes: Another optional tool but one that is extremely useful when breaking up clods of dirt and cleaning out vegetable gardens and dead annual flower beds and gardens.
( picture coming soon ) Fan Style Rake: Excellent choice for fall leaves, opt for the newer larges plastic leaf rakes which are lighter in weight and easier to use.
Cape Cod Weeder : This tool has a knife like blade for slicing weeds and loosening hard soil. Use the pointed tip for working in tight areas and removing grass and weeds from cracks in sidewalks, patios and driveways. Weeding Knife: an optional tool but excellent for uprooting dandelions.
Wheelbarrow and or Garden Cart: For removing dirt, plants, shrubs, flowers and tools around the yard while doing larger sized jobs. Always place 2/3 of the load you are moving towards the front to help keep it balanced.
Trowel: A small scooped shaped tool used for digging up dirt and setting in small plants.
Wire Garden Fork: Another optional tool but very useful for breaking up clods of soil, and Garden Gloves are almost a necessity when working in a garden.

Pictures courtesy of Rittenhouse and The Garden Store

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