Buying Gardening Tools
Buy What You Need
The tools we list here are what you are most likely to need if you have a smallish garden.
The same list also applies to a larger garden, though you may opt for more mechanisation in order to keep the workload to manageable proportions.
We've listed the tools according to their popularity, which is based on the tools most people find to be useful for looking after their gardening tasks.
Consequently, the following list gives a rough indication as to the order in which to buy your tools. That is assuming you are not one of the fortunate few who can afford to go out and buy everything all in one go.
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We suggest this is where to start:
Spade
This is required for turning over the soil in preparation for planting crops or for digging holes to take larger plants such as shrubs, roses or young trees.
Spades come in a variety of designs, sizes and materials. Because they are used for so many tasks and often for lengthy periods, it is important to handle the spade before buying to check that the weight, size, design of handle and balance are suitable. Examine the construction to ensure there are no rough edges that are likely to cause blisters or even cuts.
Ideally, you should try using it to dig over some soil, but not many shops or garden centres will allow you to do this. However, if you are able to borrow a spade from a neighbour, this may provide a good indication of the style and size to purchase.
Fork
This is useful for breaking up heavy soil when preparing for planting. It is also useful for moving vegetable matter from place to place as when you are spreading compost on the garden. Many people also use a fork to aerate their lawn, though you can also purchase purpose made tools for this purpose.
In many respects, the same advice applies as when buying a spade, although since you tend to use a fork less than a spade, you may not be quite so rigorous in checking that everything is just right for you.
Rake
The basic type of rake, which has rigid metal teeth a couple of inches long, is used for preparing surface soil ready for sowing seeds. It can be used for breaking up smaller lumps of soil as well as for removing stones and other small items of rubbish.
When buying, it is worth checking that the handle is the correct length so that you are able to slide it forward and backward on the floor with movement of the hand and arm, without needing to bend you back.
Spring Tine Rake
With a different design and purpose to the basic rake, a spring-tine rake, as its name implies, has long springy teeth that make it ideal for sweeping leaves, grass cuttings and the like from the lawn.
It is used with a pulling action, rather like you might use a broom for the same purpose, though a broom is much less efficient for such tasks.
Hoe
There's a variety of designs of hoe that are readily available and each is particularly suited to a particular task. However, your first purchase should be a dutch hoe, which has two main functions: breaking up hard surface soil and cutting off small weeds just bellows the surface.
The handle of the hoe needs to be smooth so that it slides easily through your hand. It needs to be the correct length so that you can keep the blade of the hoe more or less flat to the surface of the soil without bending your back.
Trowel and Hand Fork
When it comes to close working in pots or small planting in the garden, a good trowel is essential. You will also find a trowel useful for removing deep-rooted weeds, particularly in areas that are quite densely planted and where you don’t want to disturb the soil more than necessary.
The hand fork is also useful for weeding and for cultivating the ground where larger garden tools are difficult to use.
In either case, you need to buy something that feels comfortable to hold and looks as if it is strongly made.
Mower
There’s an enormous range of mowers and certainly no single type that is suitable for all situations.
If your lawn is small, let’s say 50 square yards or less, then a hand mower may be suitable for a reasonably fit person. Lawns that are much larger than this really need a powered mower, either petrol or electric. If your lawn is more like a field, then you may need to think about something you sit on that is self-propelled.
Smaller powered mowers are usually one of two types. There’s the cylinder mower, which has a set of revolving blades that work by scissor action against a fixed blade. These are usually best for a fine lawn that needs close cutting. If fitted with a rear roller, they will also create the striped effect that is beloved by many gardeners.
The other type is the hover mower, which can do a quick and cheerful job of managing lawns but rarely produced the carefully manicured appearance. If your lawn is a bit on the rough side, however, the hover mower may be your best choice.
A halfway house is the wheeled rotary mower, which combines the speed of the hover mower with reasonable height control.
Use the size, main use and quality of your lawn to narrow down your choice of mower. Then seek as many recommendations as you can from other users of the same type of mower.
Watering Can
This is an invaluable aid for ensuring potted plants, hanging baskets and the like have enough water during dry periods. They can also be valuable when planting or moving plants in the garden.
Probably the most common watering cans you will find today are of plastic construction, though there is something rather more substantial about the galvanised metal variety used by earlier generations of gardeners.
In general, buy the largest watering can that you can comfortably carry over typical distances in your garden. The other important point is that both handles should feel comfortable in use.
Shears
This item of equipment is used mainly for keeping your hedges in trim, though you will find all kinds of other uses. In many ways they are the gardener's equivalent to a domestic pair of scissors that can be used for cutting anything that isn't too tough.
As with any gardening equipment, choose shears that feel comfortable to hold and are not too heavy.
You may find examples with straight edged blades and others that have a "wavy" edge. Although the latter can be more difficult to keep sharp, you may find them easier to use since there is less tendency for tougher stems to slide out from between the blades.
For the most part, you should only use shears to cut soft stems that are not too thick (probably not much more than 1/16 in thick). For thicker stems, (up to the thickness of your little finger) you should use the notch that is positioned close to the point where the blades are bolted together.
Secateurs
May be considered as the single-handed equivalent of shears. They are easier to control and can be used for cutting single stems.
There are different designs to choose from, probably the most popular being the curved (where the two blades slide past each other in a scissor action) and the anvil (in which a single sharp blade closes against the flattened surface of the other blade). In practice there is little to choose between them, though you may develop your own preference.
More important than the mechanism is the quality of manufacture. A cheap pair that is shoddily manufactured will soon lose their sharp edge or the pivot will work loose. Instead of being a pleasure to use they will become an annoyance. Consequently, buy the best you can afford.
Hose Pipe
This is essential in times of low rainfall for all but the very smallest of gardens. Of course, during periods of prolonged drought you may be forbidden by law to use a hosepipe for any purpose, but at other times it is a great time saver.
The most obvious use of a hosepipe is to water plants, particularly those planted in pots or baskets where the opportunity to store water is limited.
However, they also make short work of distributing soluble fertilizer, filling garden ponds, washing down paths, cleaning patios and a host of other tasks.
The cheapest hosepipes, with single walls tend to have a limited life, especially if residual water is allowed to freeze in them over winter. Double wall is better and reinforced is better still.
You can buy hosepipe reels to ease the job of storage and even purchase some that are made of flattened tube (a bit like a smaller version of the fireman's hosepipe). Whichever options you go for, ensure you buy a length that will stretch from the water supply to the furthest corner of the garden.
While you are at it, you should buy the necessary fittings to attach the hosepipe to the tap at one end and to any sprinklers, brushes or other devices you wish to use at the other end.
Wheel Barrow
This is another major labour saving piece of equipment that can be used for collecting and transporting just about any materials you are likely to need in the garden. This may range from soil, compost or garden rubbish to bricks, cement, paving slabs or other hard landscaping materials.
There are a number of modern variants that are useful where space is limited or if you are experiencing mobility problems.
Lawn Edging Shears
If you have a lawn, the edges that are not cut by the mower will soon become overgrown and need trimming. This is the job of the lawn edger.
You can buy powered strimmers that will double up for this job but many people prefer to do the job by hand using a pair of shears with long handles so that you can do the job from a standing position.
As when buying a pair of conventional shears, you should avoid cheap or shoddy workmanship since the blades are likely to lose their edge or work loose too quickly. Also check the comfort and weight are suitable.
Sprayer
You may want to buy a number of these versatile items, which are useful for spraying weed killer, insecticides and fungicides, as well as misting indoor plants.
The type of sprayer depends to a large extent on the size of the jobs you need to do. Small trigger operated sprayers are fine for small jobs but your fingers will quickly tire if you need to use them for extended periods.
For larger jobs, a pressure sprayer is a better choice in which you use a pump to build up air pressure, which then forces the liquid out through the nozzle.
It is vital to thoroughly clean out any residues before using the sprayer for a different purpose. For this reason, many gardeners prefer to purchase a number of the cheaper sprayers and keep each of them for a specific chemical.
Pruners and Saws
When you need to do some serious pruning – cutting through stems or small branches that are thicker than your finger, then you need a pair of pruners and for even larger branches you need a saw.
Pruners have blades like an oversized pair of Secateurs, combined with longer handles to provide the leverage needed to cut through thicker stems quickly and easily.
For branches too thick for pruners, you need a saw. Various style so hand saw are available but be sure to purchase something designed for the gardener. Although you may be able to use carpenters tools, they are not really suitable and will need more time and effort to complete the job.
For even larger branches or tree trunks, you may decide to use a powered chain saw. Of all gardening tools, these are potentially the most lethal and you will need instruction on how to use one safely. Most people will probably only need to tackle such jobs very occasionally and therefore it may be more cost effective to hire rather than buy the equipment. Better still would be to hire a professional to do the work for you in complete safety.
In addition to the list of tools above, you will probably want to buy a pair of gardening gloves, a pad for kneeling and perhaps a pair of Wellington boots. Other tools may be purchased or hired only when the need for them becomes apparent.