There are many useful gardening tools out there, all at different price points. When purchasing your garden tools, think about versatility. How many different ways can you use a particular tool? Most-used garden tools are simple in form, budget-friendly, and can be used for at least three or four different tasks.
It’s tempting to roam the aisles of a big box home and garden store and scoop up everything you could possibly need to build a garden tool kit. The smell of fertilizer and peat moss wafting in the air. The polished concrete floors, helping your shopping cart glide like butter to the checkout.
Our advice when building a garden tool kit? Keep it simple! Seasoned gardeners don’t use all those doodads and gadgets you can find lining the gardening aisles.
As for weeding? To rake or to spray, that is the question! Like many garden tools, you can go all out and spend hundreds of dollars on a Lithium-ion, cordless weed killer sprayer. But weed killers can be pretty icky, especially when going near vegetables. As for weeding tools, there’s really no shortage to choose from. Generally speaking, there are two types of weeding tools: short-handled and long-handled. Short-handled tools can let you be a little more precise and you only need one hand to use most of them. The downside is that you have to sit or bend over to use them. Long-handled tools are nice because you can stand and they also give you more leverage. However, these usually require two hands and it’s not unheard of to damage one of your vegetables if your aim is a little off. With that in mind, here are some of our favorite weeding tools.
In the articles below, we dive into everything you need to know about garden tools, and you can learn more about them in our How to Grow a Vegetable Garden: 10 Things Every Gardener Needs to Know Before Starting a Food Garden freebie. Enjoy!
Let’s just talk about the pink elephant head flowers in the room, shall we? Weed killer sprayer could very well be your best friend’s sister’s ex-boyfriend’s favorite band. For our purposes, though, we’re sticking to actual garden tools. (Speaking of bands, am I the only one with R.E.M. “Gardening at Night” in my head every time I snip some basil in the evening?)
Ah, the garden trowel. It’s the trusty sidekick of any green thumb worth their salt. But did you know that this humble tool has a rich history and a plethora of myths surrounding it? Well, strap in folks, because we’re about to dig deep (pun intended) into the world of the trowel. First, let’s talk […]
The summer of 1970 holds a special place in my heart, not just because it marked the beginning of a scorching Sacramento summer, but because it was the season I discovered my trusty hula hoe (also known as a scuffle hoe) – a tool that would prove to be a game-changer in my landscaping adventures. […]
I admit that I have a weakness for journals. Whether it’s a gardening journal, travel journal, or any other kind of journal, there’s something about the blank page and the perfect pen that makes it feel like endless possibilities. A journal is the beginning of a journey. And when you’re done with it, you can […]
No one wants to think about garden injuries or the mistakes that lead to those injuries. I know I don’t. A garden is a place of joy and happiness. It’s where we go to destress and commune with nature. Gardens provide beauty and nourishment. That’s all true. But my back might have a few more […]
Friends, it is officially spring. The sun is out, the skies are blue, and the local flora and fauna are appearing. There’s a robin in a tree near my window sitting in his new nest, and the daffodils are spreading their colorful joy all over the place. Of course, I’m in New England, so it’s […]
My daughter has a number of subscription boxes, from sensory play boxes to kid chef boxes. Before our dog passed, he even had a subscription box! My social media feed is filled with subscription box ads for clothes, wine, and coffee. As gardeners, however, we all know that gardening subscription boxes are where it’s at! […]
My daughter is just about at that age where she really loves reading with me. For a while there I thought she might just be meant for parkour or extreme sports, but lately she’s down to sit for a few minutes while we read. And since we both love gardening, I went looking for gardening books for preschoolers and was not disappointed!
I’m a fairly independent human, who likes to avoid asking anyone for help. I’m that girl at the grocery store, who uses a wrapping paper tube from the stationery aisle to nudge paper towels off the high shelf. So when it comes to pruning fruit trees, the extendable pruning saw (sometimes called a “pole saw”) is a favorite of mine for garden cleanup.
Okay, I know there’s something super attractive about all those lovely new gardening tools on display at your local gardening shop. That hand-forged garden fork is stunning, and the gleaming wooden handle on the weed rake is calling out to you. I know this because it happens to me, too. But! Keep walking. Spend some […]
