Gardening is fun and rewarding and may be considered a hobby, talent or both and sometimes its just luck, sometimes – it’s a Life. Gardening is not as easy as it looks and involves dedication, time and consistency and many trials and errors. There are many aspects to maintaining a healthy garden, but some aspects take precidence over others, as we shall see in subsequent articles. Anyone who likes gardening can have the knowledge to produce the best garden in the world, but without the right equipment and materials it just becomes overly difficult.
Below you will find a list of some pieces of equipment which many gardeners simply cannot live without:
1. Trowel.
A trowel is a small shovel or spade-like tool, which is used to cultivate soil and plant small plants and seedlings. There are many styles to choose from and type of handle depends on your personal comfort and will determine how well it works. Easy grip, non-slide and non-slip grips are popular forms of handles, These will be easier to use and will require less work than any other form of trowel. Try one out in your hand first to ensure it feels comfortable. A wooden handle is just fine.
2. Garden Fork
A fork is a gardening tool which has 2-6 prongs and a handle of about half a metre. The sizes of forks vary, depending on what they are being used for. The space between each prong varies as well. Forks are used to separate, lift and throw loose pieces of material such as dirt and leaves. Particularly useful for cultivating larger areas of the garden, such as new beds or vegetable gardens. Pitchforks, on the other hand are generally used for ‘pitching’ hay.
3. Garden Spade
A gardening spade has a handle similar to that of the fork and has a flat blade. This tool is used to dig up and move pieces of dirt from one place to another., dig holes and the like.
3. Shovel.
A Shovel is primarily used for digging large holes, such as post-holes, and for moving large quantities of material, such as soil, or gravel, etc.
4. Pruning Shears.
Pruning shears, or secateurs, look something like a cross between a pair of pliers and a pair of scissors. This gardening tool allows gardeners to precisely prune rose bushes and other plants and unruly vines, etc. It is also used to trim and remove dead leaves, or branches, or flowers. There is no other piece of gardening equipment which can do the same job as pruning shears, as far as versatility and ease of use are concerned. Always invest in good quality pruning shears. Good ones have a lifetime guarantee and cheap ones will fall apart before you know it. Just don’t bother.
5. Wheelbarrow.
A wheelbarrow is probably the largest piece of garden equipment you will ever aquire. It is a deep bellied or sided cart with two handles and at least one wheel, which is designed for easy transportation of materials, such as soil, gravel or mulch, from one place to another. Purchasing a wheelbarrow will save you a lot of time and effort, especially if you are a keen compost heap maker, and will make your gardening experience less like hard work.
There are many pieces of gardening equipment which will make this hobby easier and more efficient, however the ones listed above are recognized as the most important. These pieces of equipment will likely last a very long time.