Garden Tools

Choose living Christmas trees now—most can be kept in their containers and reused for one or two more years as a Christmas tree.

Primroses and pansies will add color to your flower beds and containers all winter. Fragrant daphne is an early-blooming shrub that delights with strongly scented blooms each spring; plant it in well-drained soil. Rhododendrons are hardy shrubs that are especially beautiful in spring when they bloom—choose plants now so they can get established over the winter.

Check your nursery for stocking stuffers: kids’ gloves, watering cans, bonsai figurines, seeds, and bulbs.

Garden Tools

At heart, gardeners are plant people, but dedicated gardeners also appreciate quality tools. Cheap tools bend and break, causing frustration, while a good tool is something to treasure.

• Spade, shovel, and spading fork are three primary tools with overlapping functions:
  • The spade is essential for “double-digging”—adding organic materials to loosen soil and add nutrients.
  • The spading fork works best in light loamy or sandy soils, or in well-worked heavy soil.
  • The pointed-blade shovel handles both jobs and is ideal for beginners, also useful for moving gravel and sand.
• Garden rakes come in two main types:
  • The leaf rake works on lawns and patios, with a smaller version great for raking leaves between shrubs.
  • An “expando” rake combines both functions.
  • The steel-tined rake is used for final soil prep before sowing or planting, plus other garden tasks.
• Hand tools are essential:
  • Choose a high-quality aluminum or steel-bladed trowel—flimsy tools bend easily in tough soil.
  • A hand trowel, 3-pronged cultivator, and weeder make a great “tool trio.”
  • The Japanese Hori-Hori weeder knife is especially strong and versatile.
• Hand shears:
  • Beginners often prefer anvil-type shears, where the blade cuts against a soft steel “anvil,” ideal for larger branches.
  • Experienced gardeners favor scissor or “bypass” shears for clean cuts.
  • Newer designs feature ergonomic handles for comfort and fewer blisters.
  • Top-quality Felco shears have replaceable blades and are built to last a lifetime.
• Pruning saws are valued by serious orchardists:
  • A sharp saw cuts with ease; folding saws fit easily into a pocket.
  • Higher-end saws hold a sharp edge longer and cut quickly and cleanly.

Well-built, quality tools reward you for decades with greater ease, a healthier body, and a job well done.