Shovel | Gardeners Belfast

Brians Tips for Basic Gardening Tools

Posted on Nov 28, 2008 under garden advice | No Comment

Most people do their best to keep their garden presentable and sometimes this leads them to start gardening as a hobby. Like any hobbies, gardening can quickly become an expensive undertaking. You are bombarded with advertising constantly for the latest wiz gadget, and it can be very tempting to think I may need that, and buy it.

Basic gardening however doesn’t have to be expensive. I mean, did your grandfather need a fully automated rotary tiller for example? Probably not. If you do need one for example if you are creating a new lawn, there is little point in buying one. It’s much more sensible to rent one, or have a gardener do it for you. May I suggest a good firm (big grin)?

To get started all you need is some simple sound tools, and they don’t have to be expensive. It’s quite possible to pick up some good gardening tools at a local car boot sale. There are always people disposing of surplus garden tools.

You don’t need to buy them new. It does not matter if they’re a little rusty. Rust will not interfere with the growing process and can always be removed with a scouring pad.

Here is a basic list of tools that you will need.

* Shovel. A shovel should have a good sturdy handle that is easy to grab. Avoid thinner handles that may break and also because thinner handles are more likely to blister your hands.
* Spade. A lot of people tend to think that a shovel and a spade are much the same. A spade is primary used to break up the ground, not for lifting. Again a thick handle and a comfortable grip are important. You should acquire two spades, one being a smaller hand held spade to accommodate for work in smaller spaces.
* Rakes. You need two types of rakes. A lawn rake to gather up leaves, fallen twigs, moss, and lawn cuttings, and a ground rake which you used to smooth the ground and flower beds.
* A hoe. There are many cool designs on the market, but in the interests of simplicity a standard square hoe will suffice for most garden tasks to begin with.
* Wheelbarrow. A Wheelbarrow is essential if you’re doing any type of gardening or yard work. A broad wheeled barrow should be chosen to spread the weight when using it on a lawn. It should be lightweight easily wheeled about, and again, care and attention should be paid to the handles to prevent your hands becoming blistered during use.

Really these tips are nothing more than a commonsense approach to basic gardening, and with a little thought and some work, gardening doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition.