Gardening Hand Tools

Gardening Hand Tools

The Proper Tool For A Job Properly Done

The gardening hand tools you choose will determine how great a job you do, and also whether you injure your arms or back.

The correct gardening hand tools make any job easier and that is no exception when it comes to gardening. If you are just starting out, there are a few fundamental tools that will get you started. Purchase the best gardening hand tools that you can afford, but don’t spend too much until you’ve had the opportunity to try a few and see what your preferences are.

For the most part, the most basic of all gardening hand tools for use in the garden is a garden Fork. "You can find this fork as well as many other gardening hand tools in our on-line store". If a good quality wooden handled garden fork is maintained well, for example, by oiling the handle on a regular basis, it will last forever and perform well. It is imperative to care for your garden implements and not leave them out in the open so that they are exposed to the harshness of the weather.

This specially machined fine-toothed Folding Bamboo Saw cuts on the pull stroke, for greater control and precision sawing, cuts effortlessly through bamboo up to 2 inches thick and leaves smooth, splinter-free ends every time. Hardened-steel blade folds away for safety and locks into position while in use. Five inches when closed and 8-5/8" open.

Gardening Hand Tools image - Folding Bamboo Saw

Some gardening hand tools to start filling your tool-shed.

Spades or shovels

It’s preferable to buy a wooden handled garden spade, as a metal handle will jar your arm and back every time you dig with it. When shopping for a garden shovel, you'll want to look for a solid blade, a comfortable handle and a flat edge at the top of the blade for better leverage for your foot. If you have only one shovel in your gardening hand tools shed, make it a long handled round point shovel. It digs holes, moves soil, lifts plants and serves as a lever and hammer.

Trowels

Every gardener eventually has a favorite trowels. These are very useful for smaller jobs and are probably the most common of all gardening hand tools. Some cheaper trowels bend at the junction of handle and blade. Make certain you check this before you buy. A perfect present for the gardener in you is this Gardener Gift Set. Both beginning and experienced gardeners will appreciate the quality of this set, containing two die-cast aluminum, Ascot-style tools polished to a mirror finish with comfortable, non-slip grip handles, all cotton gloves, and an all natural gardener's hand soap with pumice in an attractive gift box.

Bow saw

The best cutting implement for use in the home garden or backyard (this also can be found in our on-line store) The blades of these bow saws are extremely sharp and will cut through the limbs and branches of trees very easily. When the saw blade starts to become blunt, simply throw the blade away and put in a new one.

Secateurs

Shaping plants goes on all year and good quality gardening hand tools are vital. Secateurs or Pruners will make your task easier by allowing you to make a cleaner cut on the plant and not rip or tear it. Look for pruners with parts that can be replaced and blades that can be sharpened. Features to take into consideration are; comfort of grip, cutting diameter, ease of repair and one handed lock/unlock clamp.

Always buy the best. A more expensive pair of secateurs or pruners will outlast and outperform a cheaper set. Some good brands are Wilkinson Sword, MBL or Felco. "Felco Australia" manufacture a range of pruning shears, cutters and saws. In Australia, you can find them in the following retail outlets, such as Bunnings Warehouse, Mitre 10 or Thrifty Link and Home hardware. Try them out, and make sure they fit your hand before you buy them. However, why wait? Go to Tools & accessories in the left menu of the Garden Express website and take advantage of the savings when purchasing the pruning combination. Buy both Felco No. 4 garden pruner and Felco Folding Pruning Saw and save $15.00

If you do fine pruning a pair of bonsai pruners are excellent and you'll find the end result more than justifies the initial expense. The most useful cutting implement you can have among your gardening hand tools is an old kitchen knife that may have had the point broken off. It is great for weeding, as you can slip it under the crown of the weeds and lift them out. A good gardener keeps his tools well organised and within convenient reach. A rolling garden tool cart is the best solution to avoid having your garden tools scattered around the shed or in the garage.

As this site grows we’ll be adding more gardening hand tools, such as hoes for weeding. We’ll go into more detail on picking the right garden fork for your needs, as well as rakes. And the pros and cons of wheelbarrows versus garden carts. You’ll get all the information on hoses and watering cans too!