The Essential Tool List
Here is a list of essential tools for the beginning gardener. Once you get into gardening, you'll find all sorts of gear and gadgets to add to your enjoyment. But these are the basics.
Watercan or Hose: You need a way to transport water to your plants. An attachable rubber hose is perhaps the easiest method, but if an outside faucet is not available, select a watercan that is easy to carry and can hold a good amount of water.
Shovel or Spade: A dish-shaped blade shovel is great for digging, lifting, and moving soil. A flat-bladed spade is used to edge beds and cut through rigid roots. You should keep the blades in good condition to avoid damage to the plants.
Digging Fork: A spading fork can help you loose heavy soils that a shovel just can't dig into. A hay fork works only for light jobs, like spreading mulch or moving leaves.Hoe: This square-bladed hoe will remove unwanted weeds and prepare your soil for the seeds.
Trowel: This is essential if you want to transplant bulbs or dig shallow-rooted weeds.
Cultivator: This 14-inch tool weeds long taproots and removes footprints from flowerbeds. It will last forever.
Once the season is over, clean the dirt and remove the rust from all your utensils so that they will be like new for the next spring. You can use an emery cloth to polish cutting blades, and a light coat of oil or the aerosol spray WD-40 to protect them against weathering. Wooden handles should be sanded if they have any splinters, and soaked in linseed oil to avoid injuries to users.
Main Garden Guide Page
 | Choosing The Proper Bulb |
| Preparing A Flowerbed |
| Learn2 Repot A Houseplant |
