Garden Hand Tools

When you first decide to create a garden it is important that you buy the correct garden hand tools for the job. There are many tools to choose from and it may be hard to know where to start. The best way of learning about tools may be to talk to another gardener or alternatively, to visit the public library and read about the modern garden and gardening.

Small hand tools

You may wish to start your gardening in a small way with wooden planters, plant pots or hanging baskets, either inside your home or outside in the yard or on a balcony. It is entirely possible to have a complete vegetable garden and natural herbs in terracotta pots, and if outside space is an issue then using all the available space is important. 

What garden hand tools you need

For garden pots, the tools you will need are limited to a trowel and small garden hand fork, if the pots you are using are particularly big, perhaps a small hand trolley/cart to move them around would be an asset. It is possible to get hand forks and trowels with long handles which can be useful if you are planting in garbage bins or particularly large pots or indeed if you are elderly or cannot bend down.

The garden fork

The garden fork is one of the most important garden tools, used for digging rough ground and breaking up the earth, excavating plants and moving them. They can be bought in many sizes to suit every height. Some garden forks have a steel shaft and others will have a traditional wooden handle, it is important to get one that suits you. The tines or prongs on your fork are also important, the traditional potato fork has very thin tines which do not destroy the potato when it is dug up, but is useless for ordinary digging as the soli simply falls off the fork.

The spade or shovel

The spade is a very useful garden tool used for digging and for moving soil around the garden it has a square blade to enable it to be used for digging. It also comes in different sizes and weights. Try to get one that is not too heavy as it will be impossible to use if you cannot lift it with a blade full of earth. It is important that the handle is comfortable for you to use so do try before you buy. A shovel is a different shape to the spade it has a point on the blade and is used for mixing concrete or shovelling sand or gravel it is not essentially a garden tool.

The wheelbarrow

A wheelbarrow is an essential tool for the garden it can be used for moving soil, collecting weeds, transporting compost or moving large garden pots and shrubs. One of the most important things when buying a wheelbarrow is to stand behind it and lift it to ensure that the handles are wider than the width of your hips. If they are too narrow, it will be impossible to lift any weight and it will be very uncomfortable to use. The wheelbarrow comes in various materials and different shapes it may be made of heavy-duty plastic, metal or even wood. Some wheelbarrows are made with a large inflated ball for a wheel they can turn easily in any direction and are extremely useful over rough terrain otherwise buy one with a wheel that has an inflatable tyre. It is important to buy the best you can afford, it will last you a lifetime if you look after it.

The Watering can

A watering can is a definite must for any gardener when the weather is dry it is invaluable. It uses less water than a hosepipe and can be carried anywhere to be of maximum use. If you have a rainwater butt the watering can can be filled from it, rainwater is always better for your garden than tap water. The can comes in metal or plastic and in a variety of sizes. When you buy ensure that you will be able to lift it when it is full, there is no use getting one that is big if it is too heavy for you to lift.

This is a short introduction to garden hand tools, there are many other tools that can be bought as and when you require them.