The Essential Gardening Tool Checklist (Pt 1)
Plus Expert Buying Tips!
It can be easy to go overboard when purchasing gardening tools, and many a gardener will find themselves with a shed full of cobweb covered tools that haven’t been used in years. However, there are a few tools that no gardener should be without. Whether you’re an avid gardener or just starting out, use our gardening tool checklist to help stick to the essentials and make sure you have the best tools to help your garden thrive.
1) Gardening Gloves
Gloves are an essential gardening tool for both gardening novices and green thumbs. Whether you’re deadheading a rose bush or weeding a garden bed, a quality pair of gardening gloves will protect your hands through all of your gardening duties.
Buying Tips:
There are a number of different gardening gloves designed for different gardening tasks, ranging from thin cotton gloves, to heavy duty rubber gloves. When choosing a pair of gardening gloves, look for a pair made from a breathable fabric or with a knit back as this will help to keep your hands cool. Choose gloves made of a durable material, but ensure that they are not too bulky that you would not be able to easily handle seeds or transplant seedlings.
Additionally, ensure that your gloves are correctly sized for your hands to prevent blisters or sliding while you garden. Choosing longer gloves that extend past the wrist will also help to protect your forearms and prevent soil from getting into the glove easily.
Top Tip: If you’re gardening in the sun you will need to protect your head as well as your hands. Use a comfortable, wide brimmed hat to protect from the sun.
2) Pruners (Secateurs)
A quality pair of pruners or secateurs is another essential tool for every gardener. Pruners are most commonly used to harvest vegetables and clip stems, creating a smooth, even cut. They can also be useful to trim back overgrown plants.
Buying Tips:
Quality pruners can last a very long time. When choosing a pair of pruners to buy ensure that the fit easily and comfortably in the palm of your hand. To extend the life of your pruners and for consistently clean cuts your pruners should be sharpened regularly.
3) Garden Trowel
A garden trowel is a hand held gardening tool that is used to plant and move small plants as well as for weeding and for digging small holes without damaging nearby plants.
Buying Tips:
A hand trowel can have a handle made of wood plastic or metal. Wood provides better grip than a plastic handle, however, a seamlessly joined metal handle will provide the greatest durability. Additionally, some garden trowels will come with a measuring guide on the blade which can be useful to measure how deep you are digging.
There are different styles of hand trowel that are designed for different purposes. A trowel with a wide blade is great for moving more soil. Alternatively, a trowel with a long, narrow blade is better for digging in rocky soil or for use when digging up weeds.
4) Hose
No garden is complete without a garden hose for watering the lawn and plants. It’s important that the garden hose you purchase is long enough to reach every corner of your garden. (Note: Larger gardens may require multiple hoses.) Another important feature of any gardening hose is the adjustable nozzle. This will allow you to vary the pressure and spray radius of the hose to cater for the varying needs of each plant in your garden.
Buying Tips:
As this is a tool that you will be using quite regularly, choose a hose with an ergonomic handle for comfort. The hose should be stored coiled up and out of direct sunlight to extend its lifetime as storing the hose with kinks can result in damage and weak spots in the hose.
Wellers Hill Hardware & Landscape Supplies is your local Brisbane hardware store. If you’re looking for quality gardening tools at a great price, look no further than Wellers Hardware. We offer the quality True Value Hardware tools with the friendly service you will only find at a locally owned and operated hardware store. We also have a garden centre and a range of landscaping supplies for all of your gardening needs. Visit our Tarragindi store today or give us a call on 07 3848 1682.
Click Here for part 2 of The Essential Gardening Tools Checklist (Plus Expert Buying Tips!)
