Whether it's from someone new to gardening or a new homeowner, a popular question that we get is what are the basic gardening tools one should have. So, we've listed the 5 Best Gardening Tools for Beginning Gardeners and New Homeowners. There are indeed, a lot of gardening tools out there. And depending on the kind of gardening you like to do, whether or not you do your own landscape maintenance, what kinds of soil and plants you have and simply what you like to do, your range of tools won't always be exactly the same as someone else. There are however, some very basic and extremely necessary tools that every beginner gardener and homeowner should have ready and waiting. These tools all play basic roles in gardening and landscaping and are absolutely necessary.
Before we begin, please note that we're referring to non-motorized hand tools. Tools such as lawn tractors, mowers, weed whips, and other similar equipment are also necessary.
* A pair of work gloves: Yeah, okay. How basic are we going to get here? Well, some long-time landscapers and gardeners will attest to those periodic times when forgotten gloves were sorely missed. Gloves keep your hands from getting cut up and gouged apart. They keep your skin from prickles and abrasions too. And they can help add an extra amount of grip when you need it. You don't need gloves that are extra fancy. Simple work gloves that have rubber texture gripping on the palms and undersides of the fingers with cotton knit fabric overall are ideal. They're usually inexpensive and come in big multi-packs. Keep a pack of these in your shed at all times. Heavier rubber gloves become hot, sweaty, and smelly, plus they're never very good for precise, delicate work like weeding.
* A good hose and sprayer: How are you going to transport water around your property easily? Know how much length you're going to need by measuring before you purchase. You can always connect two lengths of hoses together. Vinyl hoses break down quickly, so spending money on a completely rubber hose will pay off- as the hose will probably last your lifetime. Sprayer nozzles don't have to be expensive or fancy. If you have a garden and plan on overhead watering, invest in a sturdy watering wand for applying overhead water. Good wands apply lots of water fast in a gentle spray that doesn't destroy foliage, blooms, or gouge soil and potting soil.
*A leaf rake: A wide, usually light weight rake used for not only raking fall leaves, but for raking just about anything on surfaces. If you don't use a bag on your mower, a leaf rake will do a good job piling up grass clippings. Remove or spread mulch organic mulch with a leaf rake. Rake up spent flower petals from under a big rhododendron. And so on.
* A basic spade: A basic spade made of tempered steel and a round point, with a 48 inch shaft is perfect for most of your needs. You'll need a spade for planting, making new garden beds, turning compost, applying mulches or soil, digging for repairs around the house or digging for a new outdoor project, and it will come in handy for scooping up dog poop. Later on, you may want to add a shovel which will have a larger scoop area for ease in moving mulch, compost, sand and more.
* A set of hand pruners: A basic set of pruners will help you trim and prune shrubs and perennials in a very basic fashion. Removing dead and diseased wood, dead growth at the end of each season, removing seed heads, fruit, or even flowers for a vase, basic pruners are a must. Look for utilitarian hand-held bypass cutters. This is the one tool on our list that you want to invest in. A good set of pruners that with proper maintenance will last for many, many years, but often run in the $35 to $60 range.
There are MANY more tools available and many are very helpful. These are the 5 basic gardening tools that will get most any gardener through the seasons and are an excellent starting point for building a larger tool collection.
Cheryl D. Jones, shares gardening tips and landscape ideas through her blog, newsletters and her nursery's website.
Visit http://www.GreenwoodNursery.com/ for a full line of plants including trees, flowering shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and ground covers.
Join the Greenwood Gardeners Club free to receive Greenwood Nursery's weekly newsletter, seasonal promotions and 10% off your first order.
Article provided by Cheryl D Jones
Before we begin, please note that we're referring to non-motorized hand tools. Tools such as lawn tractors, mowers, weed whips, and other similar equipment are also necessary.
* A pair of work gloves: Yeah, okay. How basic are we going to get here? Well, some long-time landscapers and gardeners will attest to those periodic times when forgotten gloves were sorely missed. Gloves keep your hands from getting cut up and gouged apart. They keep your skin from prickles and abrasions too. And they can help add an extra amount of grip when you need it. You don't need gloves that are extra fancy. Simple work gloves that have rubber texture gripping on the palms and undersides of the fingers with cotton knit fabric overall are ideal. They're usually inexpensive and come in big multi-packs. Keep a pack of these in your shed at all times. Heavier rubber gloves become hot, sweaty, and smelly, plus they're never very good for precise, delicate work like weeding.
* A good hose and sprayer: How are you going to transport water around your property easily? Know how much length you're going to need by measuring before you purchase. You can always connect two lengths of hoses together. Vinyl hoses break down quickly, so spending money on a completely rubber hose will pay off- as the hose will probably last your lifetime. Sprayer nozzles don't have to be expensive or fancy. If you have a garden and plan on overhead watering, invest in a sturdy watering wand for applying overhead water. Good wands apply lots of water fast in a gentle spray that doesn't destroy foliage, blooms, or gouge soil and potting soil.
*A leaf rake: A wide, usually light weight rake used for not only raking fall leaves, but for raking just about anything on surfaces. If you don't use a bag on your mower, a leaf rake will do a good job piling up grass clippings. Remove or spread mulch organic mulch with a leaf rake. Rake up spent flower petals from under a big rhododendron. And so on.
* A basic spade: A basic spade made of tempered steel and a round point, with a 48 inch shaft is perfect for most of your needs. You'll need a spade for planting, making new garden beds, turning compost, applying mulches or soil, digging for repairs around the house or digging for a new outdoor project, and it will come in handy for scooping up dog poop. Later on, you may want to add a shovel which will have a larger scoop area for ease in moving mulch, compost, sand and more.
* A set of hand pruners: A basic set of pruners will help you trim and prune shrubs and perennials in a very basic fashion. Removing dead and diseased wood, dead growth at the end of each season, removing seed heads, fruit, or even flowers for a vase, basic pruners are a must. Look for utilitarian hand-held bypass cutters. This is the one tool on our list that you want to invest in. A good set of pruners that with proper maintenance will last for many, many years, but often run in the $35 to $60 range.
There are MANY more tools available and many are very helpful. These are the 5 basic gardening tools that will get most any gardener through the seasons and are an excellent starting point for building a larger tool collection.
Cheryl D. Jones, shares gardening tips and landscape ideas through her blog, newsletters and her nursery's website.
Visit http://www.GreenwoodNursery.com/ for a full line of plants including trees, flowering shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and ground covers.
Join the Greenwood Gardeners Club free to receive Greenwood Nursery's weekly newsletter, seasonal promotions and 10% off your first order.
Article provided by Cheryl D Jones