Choosing The Right Gardening Equipment
Dave Truman
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 there are a few basic tools that you will need to grow a garden. A rake, a hoe and a shovel are all pretty important. Pruning scissors are also very helpful and you should get yourself a quality pair.
Over the year, I've amassed quite a collection of equipment, to the point of not having room for them all in my shed. But out of all those tools, my favorites are an old pair of comfortable gloves and my trusty kitchen knife.
When I can't find my pruning scissors, my kitchen knife takes its place and acts as a pruning knife instead. If I can't be bothered to find my hoe, or shovel, I just use the tip of the knife to accomplish what I want. Then of course there are the times that I just can't be bothered with even that, and use my nicely gloved hands instead to loosen the soil, or pull up weeds.
It probably sounds a little unorganized, but as you probably know when you're knee-deep in the garden the last thing you want to do is drop everything to go find a piece of equipment.
However, that said, some jobs are easier with the proper equipment at hand, and it is worth your while to go and fetch it from whatever nook or corner that you stuffed it into. One of my favorite pieces of gardening equipment 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.
What you need to remember about garden equipment is while you might really want a piece of equipment, you probably don't really need it. Stick with the basics and you'll still have lots of fun and enjoyment from your garden.
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