Tuesday 7 April 2009

How to Choose the Right Gardening Tools

No matter what size your garden is, there's no doubt that gardening tools can help make the job of maintaining your garden a lot easier. However there are so many tools available that it can be difficult to know which ones you really need, particularly if you're new to gardening. It's tempting to avoid the confusion by just buying everything, but that just means you'll end up with no money and a storage area full of tools you don't use.

So which tools are worth buying? Gardening involves moving dirt around, so a digging tool is always a good choice. If you're mainly working in pots or containers, then a sturdy trowel is a fabulous investment. A shovel is better if you're going to be moving large amounts of soil around, or to assist you with planting trees, vegetables and flowers. It might be tempting to save yourself some effort by choosing a power tiller or plough, but unless you have a very large garden, they're probably involve more expense and trouble than they're worth.

Another worthwhile tool to buy is a rake or hoe. Again, if you're going to mainly be working in smaller areas, a pot-sized equivalent is a good idea. These tools can be used to smooth soil and remove weeds. This sort of work can be done by hand, but it's easier with the right tool, particularly in a large garden.

Although they're not technically a tool, good gardening gloves are also useful. It may be worth having a couple of pairs - some heavy duty ones for rough work, some thinner ones when you need to feel what you're doing.

Once your garden is established, then at least one pruning tool is a necessity. Depending on the size of your plants, choose anything from pruners or secateurs through to large tree loppers. It's worth spending a little extra to buy a solid, reliable pruning tool, otherwise it may be ruined the first time you try to cut anything with them.

A few more tools that you can probably survive without, but will make life easier depending on the size of your garden, include:

- Wheelbarrow
- Garden fork
- Watering can
- Hose & hose reel
- Rake

Again, it's easy to find cheap tools, but if you're serious about using your tools for a long period of time, think of buying good quality tools as an investment. Cheap tools don't usually work as well, and tend to be less sturdy and easier to break. Happy gardening!

By Jean Murphy

If you want to learn more about choosing garden tools, click over to Jean's site at http://www.gardeningzoneonline.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jean_Murphy

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