8 Basic Garden Tools for Beginner Gardeners:

 

Gloves

Although gardening is a great activity it can be hard on the hands. A pair of gloves is essential to prevent injuries from thorns, splinters and help reduce blisters. When considering gloves choose a water-resistant but breathable fabric to keep your hands from sweating. Make sure they are the perfect fit and not too bulky. Bulky gloves will cause struggles when working with delicate seeds. Gloves with longer cuffs will protect wrists and forearms from scratches and keep soil from getting in.

 

Hand Trowel

Whether you are working in the garden or filling seed trays a hand trowel is essential. A trowel is good for digging small holes for planting seeds, measuring depths in the soil, and digging up tough weeds. A trowel with a narrow blade will cut into the soil easily. A broad blade will move more soil. Trowels forged from stainless steel, or at least with a stainless-steel head, are more durable and will last longer. The handle should fit comfortably in your hand.

 

Pruning Shears

Pruning the garden can be a everyday activity so investing in a good pair of pruners is a must. Different types of pruners are good for different tasks in the garden. Anvil pruners are best for dead wood and can cause crush injuries to fresh, green stems and branches. Whereas bypass pruners are better for live plants and green wood. Ratcheting pruners provide increased cutting strength, perfect for anyone with reduced hand strength or arthritis. Your pruners should fit easily in the palm of your hand. For cleaner cuts and less injury to plants, pruners should be sharpened regularly.

 

Garden Fork

A garden fork is a handy tool for loosening and turning soil and can dig into dense soil better than a spade. Forks with a slight curve to the spines are useful for scooping mulch or turning compost piles, much like a pitchfork. Straight tines are better for digging; great for compacted, rocky, or clay soil. Square tines are stronger than flat tines which can bend when they hit a rock or root.

 

Spades/ shovel

These short-handled square shovels are garden workhorses. They make easy work of digging holes for plants, edging, lifting sod, and moving small mounds of dirt from one area to another. This tool can be more on the pricey side, but a good spade will last you the rest of your gardening life. Treads on top of the blade give a sturdier and more comfortable foot surface when needing an extra push. Stainless steel heads are strong and won’t rust.

Hoes

Hoes are a great tool for weeding and turning the soil. A vegetable garden may require a sturdy, wide hoe, and perennial gardens need a thinner hoe. Weeding hoes have an open square head and are pushed back and forth just under the soil surface to cut down top growth. Flat hoes are good for turning the soil in rows in vegetable gardens.

 

Rake

A good sturdy rake comes in handy to rake leaves and other debris that fall in and around your garden. Steel tines are stronger, last longer, and are great for harder surfaces but might be too rough on delicate lawns. Whereas plastic tines work well for delicate flower and vegetables beds or lawns.

Watering can/ Hose

Watering your garden is essential for a healthy garden. If you do not have access to an outside spigot a good water can is handy in watering your garden. Plastic cans are lighter but metal cans are more durable. Choose one that is comfortable and easy to carry. Larger watering cans work best for outside gardens and smaller cans are good for inside gardens or more delicate plants. However if you do have access to an outside spigot a watering hose is a quicker and easier way to water your garden.