Identifying Which Gardening Tools You Need For Your Garden

There are four broad categories of necessary garden tools and equipment for gardening: general purpose; vegetables, soft fruits and flowers; shrubs, climbers and trees; and lawns and hedgers. The general purpose tools are used in most gardens and are the primary tools for all gardeners. They are a fork, spade, a good pen knife, a medium sized wheelbarrow and a watering can with a rose.

For growing vegetables, soft fruits and flowers you need tools for working the soil and killing weeds, pruning, planting, sowing an spraying and watering. The best gardening tools are a hoe, an iron rake, a trowel, a small hand-fork, a cultivator, a sprayer, a measuring rod, a pair of secateurs, a bucket and a dabber. A medium-sized garden plot will require a hosepipe and fittings. You may want to use a short plank to knee on to avoid getting covered in wet muddy soil.

Shrubs, climbers and trees will require cutting and pruning tools and if fruit trees are grown then spraying will be required the important tools for this category are: a pruning saw, steps and ladders, a long arm pruner and a spray with a lance for tall trees.

The tools for lawns and hedgers are pretty specialized and mainly for trimming and cutting but will include items to scarify the turf. The basics are a pair of shears, a wire rake, a fork, a spade, a watering can, a lawn mower, a wheelbarrow, edging shears, a bucket, a spray and hosepipe. A sprinkler may come in handy if you live in hot dry regions. For gardening tools which are used less frequently like power cultivators and lawn aerators for instance, can be hired.