!: 14 Must Have Tools For the Backyard Gardener

[if ]

[endif]

There are 14 tools that, in my opinion, are essential for the backyard gardener.

1. Pruning Shears - Good pruners are a gardener's right hand. They are indispensable. I have a holster for mine so that they are always at my side. I highly recommend the Felco brand, expensive but will last a lifetime and never fail you.

2. Wheelbarrow - During your life as a gardener you are going to move tons of soil, rocks, compost and plant debris. They come in handy at harvest time too. For years I used five gallon buckets. When I bought my first Wheelbarrow I really felt empowered.

3. Spading fork - Essential for loosening soil, digging potatoes and perennial bulbs. I prefer the D-handled. Again quality counts. I like the Ames True Temper with the wooden handle.

4. Garden Spade - Necessary for double digging so you can "slice" the soil and keep the topsoil on top without turning it over. Am Leonord is top quality if you can afford.

5. Garden Rake - Used to remove weeds from beds after being loosened with the spading fork and hoe. Great for grading and shaping garden beds.

6. Leaf Rake - for gathering leaves and grass for the compost pile. Buy a nice metal one. Avoid the plastic ones like the plague.

7. Garden hoe - Great when doing the initial weeding when preparing beds and chopping large chunks of compacted soil.

8. Scuffle hoe or action hoe - makes quick work of cultivating and weeding of garden beds. Just keep the top inch or two of soil loose and let the earthworms do the rest.

9. Hose - Well we all know what a hose does. Buy at least a 5-ply hose with good fittings.

10. Quick connect hose fittings - Never waste your time screwing hoses off and on spigots again. Never saw one until Michelle Andre at Windflower Farms showed them to me. Haven't been without them since.

11. Fan Spray - excellent for watering raised beds. Pointed upwards it creates a gentle rain with a wide pattern

12. Water wand - Allows you to get water just where you want it. It's wonderful for watering tomatoes at the roots without getting the leaves wet.

13. Watering Can - Bring water to individual plants and seedlings without dragging out the hoses. The Haws is the best. Again I prefer metal to plastic.

14. Hand trowel - For planting and transplanting seedlings. Assures you the the soil is firm around the roots

With these simple tools a gardener can accomplish many of the tasks that they face daily.