Hobbies And Pastimes

Every gardener needs gardening equipment. At least that’s what we tell ourselves as we buy that new ultra-light shovel that’s on sale this week! The fact is, not every gardener has every tool they need and most of us make do with what we’ve got. Improvisation is the key here.

But if you are serious about growing a garden this year, there are several things you absolutely need to have. A shovel, a hoe and a rake are three of the basics. Pruning scissors are another valuable tool that you should add to your arsenal as soon as you can.

As the years wore on I found that I had indeed collected many an essential piece of gardening equipment, and now find to my dismay that my shed is full to overflowing with tools. The best ones that I have though are a very old pair of comfortable gardening gloves, and my trusty, old kitchen knife that I had brought out one day, and just never replaced.

If my pruning scissors aren’t handy, the kitchen knife takes their place quite well. If my shovel and hoe aren’t within reach, the tip of the knife usually does the job. And sometimes I don’t even go that far and just use my hands to dig the soil.

It probably sounds like a fairly sloppy way to go about your gardening, but every dedicated gardener knows that if you’re knee deep in the middle of something, the last thing you’ll want to do is to interrupt your work to fetch the proper gardening equipment from your shed.

Having said all that, some jobs really are easier with the proper equipment and it may be worth the time to fetch. One of my other favorites is the garden claw.

With two varieties available, one for standing work, and for closer work and therefore fitting in your hand, the garden claw makes your life easier. Stick the claw in the ground, give it a simple twist with your wrist, and pull out. It loosens soil easily, and as an added benefit you get to pull out your weeds with less hassle.

Really the key thing to remember about gardening equipment is that although we might want it, we don’t always need it. Besides it’s always a good thing not to get too attached to your gardening equipment, it makes life easier if you’re not always trotting back and forth between your work patch and the shed. Ultimately you’d not get too much done, (unless you’re using your handy garden claw!).