The key tools that every avid gardener should have
Are you planning to start taking gardening more seriously? With much of the world’s population stuck at home for extended periods of the past year or so, demand for outdoor space has rocketed. Prices of homes with gardens hit a 4-year high in the UK while applications for allotments have soared.
As with most hobbies, having certain equipment can create new possibilities and make your life easier. Start your shopping list by reading up on the key tools that every avid gardener should have below.
Essential small gardening tools
There are a few basic tools you might need for digging, planting and cutting depending on the environment you’re working with.
A hand trowel is useful for working flower beds as well as growing things in planters, while a watering can will be easier to use regularly than a repurposed bottle or jug.
Pruning shears of different sizes will allow you to trim bushes and plants with ease. For larger spaces, invest in a sturdy shovel and hook up a garden hose with a spray nozzle for quick and easy watering.
A rake and wheelbarrow meanwhile can help you clear and transport debris and materials as you need to.
Heavy duty equipment
A power lawn mower is likely to be an essential unless you want to spend hours trimming grass by hand. Electric and battery mowers are fine for smaller gardens while gas mowers are better for larger spaces.
Strimmers are handy bits of kit for cutting grass along edges of pavements and hedges, while a power hedge cutter can make your hedges neater and more precise.
Buying cordless versions of both these tools will boost your mobility – just make sure to read the safety instructions first!
Optional extras
So what about the nice-to-haves? While not a necessity, buying a leaf blower will make clearing leaves and grass and hedge trimmings a breeze. A chipper for chopping up branches is similarly convenient but not essential.
Depending on where you live and the kind of work you’ll be doing, you might want to deck yourself out with protective gloves, bug repellent and a sunhat too. Kneeling pads meanwhile can reduce the impact on your knees to keep you gardening for longer.
Buying kid-sized tools could encourage your children or younger siblings to get stuck in too.
Most of the items above will likely be available at your local garden centre. Kit yourself out and take your garden to its full potential!
