While most people out there are currently dealing with cold weather and snow in their backyards, winter is soon coming to a close. Within a couple of months, warmer weather will be here and people will start to spend their time outside some more.
One of the most popular outdoor activities in the spring and summer months is to garden. Whether it is gardening for fun or gardening to grow delicious veggies to eat, gardening is becoming more and more popular among Americans.
While you of course need a garden to become a gardener, that is not all you need. There are several different tools out there that every gardener should look to have in their repertoire. This article will take a look at a few of them.
A Sturdy and Comfortable Shovel
If you are looking to plant anything decently large, having a sturdy round blade digging shovel is a godsend. You should make sure the shovel is ergonomic and comfortable to use, as shoveling with a bad shovel can really strain your back. So you should get one with a solid handle and easy gripping position.
Look for one with steel construction as it will stand up to hard use better than a simple wooden model. You should ensure the shovel is also comfortable to step on, so that it won’t hurt your foot every time you step on it to dig. Shovels are also great at transporting small amounts of mulch or dirt around your yard or garden.
An Electric Chainsaw
If you have any trees, shrubs or bushes in your garden or yard, you know it’s necessary to trim them every now and then. While you might not think of an electric chainsaw as something that could do this job, you should. An electric chainsaw is both quiet and incredibly durable, and can work faster than a lopper or a hand-saw and is much easier to use.
There are many different options out there in terms of electric chainsaws, and referring to an electric chainsaw guide can help you make the right choice. Of course, always be extremely careful when using this electric tool.
A Powerful Pruner
Pruners are the best tool for when you need to prune flowers, cut stems or cut small wooden twigs. These are a very useful hand tool and are one of the best ways to precisely and accurately make cuts or slices in your garden, as well as do many other duties. These are also very cheap to buy and there are many different varieties to choose from, depending on the color, design and feel that you like. Think of these almost like scissors for the garden.
A Good Pair of Gloves
Gardening is a great and fun hobby, but it can get a little bit painful, as well. You are constantly dealing with thorns, dirt and other potentially sharp and/or dirty things. As a result, you should always seek to wear gloves when doing gardening of all kinds.
You want to ensure you purchase a durable pair of gloves, but make sure they are not too bulky as that might limit your movement and dexterity. They should fit fairly snug and allow you for easy movement, while also being thick enough to remain durable and not wear out or get ripped by accident.
A Few Different Kinds of Rakes
Rakes are one of those tools that almost every homeowner has, and for good reason. However, there are two different kinds of rakes that you should have in your arsenal. The first is a leaf rake. This rake is great for raking up the leaves that drop during the autumn season and can also be great for rounding up other debris in your garden.
The other kind of rake that you should ensure you have is called a garden rake. This rake is perfect for preparing the ground and soil in your garden for the planting of seeds. However, in addition to that, this rake can be used for leveling off the ground, breaking up hard ground and various other tasks too.
A Wheelbarrow
Very few gardening tools are as helpful and needed as a wheelbarrow. These handy tools can make it incredibly easy to transport soil, compost, your tools and anything else you could imagine. Without a wheelbarrow, it would take you a lot longer to transport soil around and would be a much more tiring process.
You should look to get a steel wheelbarrow and while two-wheeled models are often better and stronger, a one-wheeled one will work for most people as well. While they are more expensive than most things on this list, they are a very valuable tool and will surely help you out a lot.
A Hori Hori Hand Tool
Many people out there have several different small hand tools for gardening including knives, trowels, digging spades and more. However, there is a single tool out there that combines all of these into one simple and easy-to-use tool.
The Hori Hori is a japanese gardening tool that has multiple uses. It can be used for planting, digging, cutting and much more. It features a rust-resistant steel blade and should last many years as long as it is cared for in the proper manner. It is one of the most durable and widely useful tools you can have as a gardener.
Knee Pads or a Knee Saver
When you are gardening, you spend a lot of time bending over and being down on your knees. While this is fine for a while, your knees will soon begin to hurt from kneeling in the dirt or grass for hours. Instead of just dealing with the pain (and potentially ruining your pants), you should invest in something to protect your knees.
This could either be buying some knee pads to provide yourself more mobility, or could purchase a knee saver, which is basically a padded cushioning that you can kneel on to protect your knees. These will pay for themselves in how much less pain you will be in from gardening all day.
