by
Dawn West, All About Lawns Columnist
Growing flowers, herbs, and vegetables can be a relaxing pastime. Having the garden tools you need to take care of your plants can make gardening easier and more fun. Here are some basic hand tools:
Round pointed shovel: Use this to dig holes for planting or to remove rocks and tree roots.
Spading fork: Use this to turn over soil and add compost or other amendments. It's also great for dividing plant clumps. Hint: don't get one with flat tines because they can bend or break.
Hoe: Use a hoe to create rows to plant seeds; it's also good for pulling dirt up around plants and "chinking" rocks out of garden soil.
Rakes: You want both a leaf rake and a garden rake. The leaf rake cleans up leaves and cuttings; the garden rake is used to level topsoil before planting.
Pruning shears: These are designed to trim and shape small bushes and cut flowers. Avoid cutting branches more than a half-inch thick because this can harm plants and ruin the pruning shears.
Lopping shears: These can handle cutting thicker branches. Carry both pruning and lopping shears so you can alternate between them.
Hose(s): A good rubber garden hose is worth its weight in flowers, produce, and peace of mind. Cheap hoses kink, leak, and detract from your gardening enjoyment.
Hose Sprayer: This contraption looks like a plastic jar and attaches to a garden hose. You can use it to spray fertilizer and pest control products.
Trowels: Buy one with a narrow blade to plant bulbs and dig out stubborn weeds, and another with a wide blade for planting.
A good pair of gardening gloves is also essential because using gardening tools can be rough on your hands.
Dawn West B.A. holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University and teaches writing at Oregon State University.
