Becoming a gardener – Finding the right tools
With over 200 years of combined gardening experience the GardenAdvice Team have learned getting the right tool for the gardening job or task can make life a lot easier plus the most expensive tools are often not the best tools.
Here is the GardenAdvice teams current recommendations for gardening tools
Knife – a budding knife is an essential piece of gardening kit. We have found the Burgon and Ball grafting and budding knife to to excellent https://www.burgonandball.com/collections/garden-knives/products/pocket-knife-national-trust
Secateurs – a good pair of secateurs is essential we recommend the Felco Secateurs No. 2
https://felco.com/en_gb/products/pruning-shears/felco-2
It’s also worth carrying a second part of cheaper Secateurs for the rougher pruning jobs The GardenAdvice team use the GoodHome Durum Secateurs
https://www.diy.com/departments/goodhome-durum-carbon-steel-0-22m-x-60mm/5059340086200_BQ.prd
Loppers – both hand and electric lopper can be useful for most pruning tasks where you have to cut branches thicker than 15mm For hand lopper Toolstation offer the best loppers for both hand and electric lopper
https://www.toolstation.com/hawksmoor-telescopic-bypass-lopping-shears/p65756
https://www.toolstation.com/hawksmoor-18v-cordless-mini-pruning-chainsaw/p37438
Spades and forks – traditionally made with Sheffield steel and English ash the UK made the best spades and forks in the world, but these days have passed now. Most spades and forks available now last less than a season, shafts break and heads bend. The current spades and forks the GardenAdvice team use are as follows which have proven to be the best.
Tree and shrub planting spade – The GardenAdvice team tend to use a trenching spade because it is easier to dig deeper holes https://www.toolstation.com/bulldog-newcastle-drainer/p48056?
Border Spade –
https://www.gardenhealth.com/stainless-steel-border-spade
Garden Spade –
https://www.gardenhealth.com/stainless-steel-digging-spade
Border fork –
https://www.gardenhealth.com/stainless-steel-border-fork
Garden fork –
https://www.gardenhealth.com/stainless-steel-digging-fork
Loopers – The use of loppers tend to suggest some use on heavy pruning or an overgrown shrub or tree. Spending money on an expensive pair of loppers is often a mistake, its best to go for a model of simple design with extending handles so you can get the maximum amount of leverage on the branch you are cutting.
https://www.toolstation.com/hawksmoor-telescopic-bypass-lopping-shears/p65756
Clothing – You can spend a fortune on clothing for gardening but for quality and a reasonable price you will not go far wrong with Hoggs of Fife. Great waterproof jackets, moleskin trousers and quilted Jackets.
Footwear – Ideally you need a pair of steel capped boots for forking and digging but for everyday gardening a pair of hunter wellingtons are ideal, although expensive they are the most comfortable wellingtons which is important if you are wearing them all day.
Wheelbarrow – Every year new wheelbarrow designs come onto the market but few are as good or better than the standard builders wheelbarrow which has a proper wheel and tyre and at a cost that can be replaced every couple of seasons if required.
( currently under viewer )
Watering can – only one watering can will do and that’s a Haws watering can, When you use one you will understand why. They are well balanced helping you control the flow of the water and they have a rose that will deliver the water to your young seedlings without smashing the compost or seedling with large droplets of water.
Chipper – one of our most useful pieces of gardening kit is our electric chippers Bosch being the most useful
