The Best Garden Tools To Maximize Your Garden Season
By Victoria Fuller
Ahhh Spring, we finally made it! After what feels like an eternity of sheltering indoors and staring longingly out the window wondering “Will I ever be able to dust off my gardening gloves?” it’s time to finally start gradually blinking our way into the sun (think the little giraffe at the beginning of the original cartoon version of Disney’s “The Lion King”).
With this exciting time comes a few garden maintenance items on the agenda that we wanted to remind you of today, the most important one being: “which garden tools do I need to maximize the upcoming garden season?”, well look no further my botanical friend because today we are going to “dig in” to the tools that we think are necessary for garden success! Many of the tools mentioned in this article are also available on the Cedar Planters website just to make things even easier for you!
Raised Garden Beds
We would just be plain silly to write an article about the best ways to maximize your garden season without mentioning our own incredible Western Red Cedar Planter Boxes and Raised Garden Beds! With a Cedar Planter as your main growing vessel you can grow food-safe vegetables without worrying about harmful chemicals, as well as basically any flowers, herbs, or shrubs that your heart desires without worrying about the roots of your plants being overwhelmed with water (thanks to their built-in drainage system, yay!). Plus, they look absolutely beautiful (Biased? Us? Never!).
Greenhouse Covers
If you live in the United Kingdom then you are no stranger to incredibly damp and unpredictable weather, which is where a handy Greenhouse Cover can be a garden superhero for you! If you are worried about your plants being over-watered by the elements or being visited by some undesirable pests, then a Greenhouse cover can help protect your hard work!
Hori Hori Knife
This multifaceted tool definitely deserves a permanent position in your tool box! Hori Hori knives are fantastic for measuring, slicing, digging, weeding, transplanting, propagating, and more or less anything else you have in mind when it comes to planting!
Trowel
A miniature hand shovel is the perfect solution for transplanting and planting in a smaller space! Why worry about lugging around a massive shovel when a handheld version will do the trick?
Spade
Spades and shovels are one of the most important parts of any gardener's arsenal as they are essential for moving large amounts of soil and mulch, digging holes for plants and edging, and generally transporting items around your area! We would recommend investing in a good quality spade as there is every chance that this could last you forever!
Hoe
These sturdy tools are fantastic for tilling soil and mulch, preparing your garden bed for planting and transplanting, and ensuring that your soil is cultivated in preparation for the upcoming season! Hoes are especially essential if you are planning on cultivating a vegetable garden as they are the best tool for preparing your soil and evenly distributing your compost and mulch! Hoes are actually as ancient as agriculture itself with many reports stating that some Hoes have been discovered as early as 2000BCE! So they must be doing something right!
Wheelbarrow
These garden workhorses are essential for transporting your soil and mulch from point A to point B, they also make great storage for your plants and tools. All in all we would recommend investing in a nice wheelbarrow with comfortable handles to help you potentially transport hundreds of pounds of matter in one fell swoop! Wheelbarrows are also fantastic at moving compost from the compost pile that you have been adding to all Winter to your Spring garden!
Garden Gloves
A decent pair of quality gloves is essential for protecting your hands in the garden! It may seem obvious but there are more threats in the garden than just “getting dirt under your fingernails”. Wearing gardening gloves is important to protect against scrapes and cuts, as well as against the potential exposure to bacteria and germs in the soil! A decent pair of gloves wants to be well-fitting (to prevent blisters and slipping), water-resistant, and preferably with excellent grip for holding onto your vegetable and plant seeds!
Clippers
If you’ve got a hard to reach branch then clippers are the answer for you! These hand held pruners are fantastic for cutting, harvesting, dead-heading, and trimming anything botanical that comes to mind! This tool is especially handy if you are planning on growing vegetables, as you will want to be regularly pruning your vegetable plants to ensure the best harvest!
Rakes
If you have some wayward leaves or other organic matter that you need to move quickly, then a rake is the perfect solution (without the back pain!). A decent rake with a sturdy handle is bound to last you season after season! Rakes are also fantastic for tilling your garden soil and make a great tool to assign to a beginner gardener who wants to help out in the garden!
Watering Can
Keeping your plants well-watered is essential (even if you do live somewhere with ample rain) so a sturdy watering can will help keep your garden in ship-shape (and can also double up as a nice piece of outdoor decor!). Watering cans are also a fantastic option for those who do not have access to a traditional garden hose system!
We hope that this list has inspired you to start planning out your Spring gardening tool kit! Are there any other tools that you have in your arsenal that you would deem essential? If so please let us know below!
