Must-have garden tools our staff swears by
Ever been to the garden center and browsed through the tools, just to see what’s there? Maybe there are a couple that look interesting, but what you have at home still works fine. On the other hand, it could be time to try something new. Here are 13 favorite tools that our staff is glad we tried, because now we reach for them regularly!
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1. Multipurpose soil knife
You may have an old-school skinny trowel to do most of your garden work. But the Leonard Deluxe Stainless Steel Soil Knife is even better. It’s the perfect tool to make a hole for transplanting starter plants, dig out a long taproot and cut plant roots out of tight spots. Its sharp, pointed tip digs into soil easily. The serrated edge is also useful for dividing plants, cutting off a green stem or woody branch or even opening a bag of soil. And the sharp cutting notch slices through twine like butter.
Where to Buy:
Deluxe Stainless Steel Hori Hori Knife from A.M. Leonard
A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo on Amazon
2. Auger attachment
Planting a ton of spring bulbs? Use a Power Planter® auger attachment on a battery-operated drill to dig the holes. You’ll be done in a fraction of the time it would take to hand-dig all of them!
But don’t stop there: The same tool can be used for a variety of garden chores: to blend your own potting mix, speed up transplanting of annuals and perennials and even till up a small area. You can find this auger in several sizes and lengths to core just the right hole.
For larger ones, simply dig a couple close together to enlarge the area. The best part is, the soil is broken up and easy to backfill into the planting hole. Start with the drill in the slowest setting to avoid wrenching your wrist. A side handle on the drill adds even more stability and safety.
WHERE TO BUY:
Power Planter Ultimate Gardener Starter Bundle on Amazon
Auger Attachments from PowerPlanter.com
3. Stainless steel nursery spade
A solid flat-edge nursery spade can carve out planting holes, skim sod, cut a neat edge and split a perennial. It can also scrape ice and scoop snow and gravel. I’ve had this one so long that I don’t remember the brand, but there are many good options available. Look for a stainless steel nursery spade (also sometimes called a digging spade) because it keeps a sharp edge and resists rust. I like a short handle because it makes the tool more manageable.
WHERE TO BUY:
Berry&Bird Stainless Steel Digging Spade on Amazon
Stainless Digging Spade from Kinsman Company
Local garden centers and hardware stores
4. Battery-powered shear
For spring perennial cleanup, I can’t live without my WORX® Garden Shear Shrubber. The hedge shear attachment makes cutting down dead foliage and ornamental grasses a breeze. Later in the season, use it to deadhead shrubs and cut back tall perennials to keep them shorter and fuller. Switch to the grass shear attachment to snip multiple tiny spent flowers in no time at all.
WHERE TO BUY:
WORX 2-in-1 Cordless Shear & Trimmer on Amazon
Power Share Cordless 4" Shear and 8" Shrubber Trimmer from WORX Tools
Local garden centers and hardware stores
5. Sprinkler
You’ll be giddy playing with all the features on the Gilmour® Pattern Master sprinkler. It is adjustable to length, direction and pattern of spray, so you can target just a few plants that need extra hydration, a wide border or the whole lawn.
WHERE TO BUY:
Gilmour Sprinklers on Amazon
Local garden centers and hardware stores
6. Tripod sprinkler base
Once plants get taller, try using an Orbit® Brass Impact Sprinkler on Tripod Base to get the sprinkler above the foliage for better coverage. This works especially great on slopes, where you can shorten or lengthen each leg to level the sprinkler.
WHERE TO BUY:
Orbit Brass Impact Sprinkler on Tripod Base from Amazon
1/2-Inch Brass Impact Sprinkler on Tripod Base from Orbit Irrigation
7. Expandable garden hose
If you’ve spent years fighting with stiff, heavy hoses, try an expandable hose. This lightweight fabric-covered latex hose stretches as it fills with water. When empty, my 75-foot-long Pocket Hose® contracts into a 5-gallon bucket for easy storage, with no coiling!
Expandable hoses are not always the longest lasting, but for small areas or transporting from the front yard to the back, they are really convenient. Look for a model with brass fittings, as they are usually more durable. To get the most life out of your expandable garden hose, turn the water on slowly so there isn’t a burst of water pressure when filling, don’t use shut-off valves where water pressure builds in the hose (I let mine run the whole time I use it) and drain all the water out when finished.
WHERE TO BUY
Pocket Hose® from Amazon
Flexi Hose PLUS from Amazon
Local garden centers and hardware stores
8. Retractable hose reel
You’ll never want to wind up a hose again after using a retractable hose reel. The spring-loaded HoseLink™ retractable hose pulls out of the housing easily, and a quick tug reels it back in seconds. The swivel mount allows you to move different directions and the hose follows along. I like that you can mount the unit high enough that it will clear the tops of plants without dragging over the foliage. And the housing is easy to lift off the mount to store the hose away for winter.
WHERE TO BUY
HOSELINK Classic Charcoal 100ft Retractable Garden Hose Reel from Amazon
Retractable Hose Reels from HoseLink
9. Hand hoe for weeding
The angled blade of a hand hoe slides beneath the soil surface to shear off weed roots or cultivate small areas and plant seeds. It’s excellent for getting out tiny weeds or plants that spread out and root down in multiple places on the stem. I like to carry a hand hoe in one hand to loosen roots and keep my other hand free to pull weeds out. You can also turn the pointed edge downward and etch a line for rows of seeds, dig a hole for transplanting seedlings or pull up weed taproots.
WHERE TO BUY:
Japanese Weeding Sickle
Local garden centers and hardware stores
10. Two-wheeled garden cart
The quintessential garden hauler, the wheelbarrow, is made even better with an extra wheel for stability. You won’t have to worry about the AMES® Total Control Yard Cart tipping sideways with a heavy load. It travels easily over rough ground with less arm strength to balance the load, and you can even pull it behind you with one hand.
WHERE TO BUY:
Dual-Wheel Home Utility Yard Wheelbarrow Garden Cart on Amazon
Total Control 5 cu. ft. Yard Cart from AMES
Local garden centers and hardware stores
11. Leaf collection chute
Dreading leaf-collection season? A chute like this Leaf & Lawn Chute is invaluable when filling those big municipal paper yard-waste bags. This plastic sheet folds into the perfect shape to fit in a standard yard-waste bag, holding it open and upright for easy filling. Or lay it down and rake leaves right into the chute. It also folds flat for storage.
WHERE TO BUY
ATROFY Leaf&Lawn Chute-3 Pack on Amazon
Local garden centers and hardware stores
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12. Collapsible yard bag
Gardeners are always hauling things, and this 30-gallon Kangaroo® Garden Bag is great for collecting weeds to toss in the compost pile, carry produce to the kitchen or move plant divisions to the other side of the garden. It’s lightweight, durable, easy to wash and dry, and handles on top and bottom make it easy to tip and dump.
WHERE TO BUY:
Collapsible Garden Bag with Hard Bottom on Amazon
Fiskars Kangaroo® Garden Bag from AM Leonard
Local garden centers and hardware stores
13. Container dolly
If you pot up a lot of containers, PotWheelz® can be a lifesaver. This heavy-duty mover might cost more than a regular two-wheel dolly, but it is hands-down worth it if you have big containers to move around. Set almost any size container on the rounded platform, then lean the cart backward on the third caster without fear of the pot tipping off the front. A curved rail keeps the container from rolling side to side. Large pneumatic wheels give a smooth ride over rough ground.
WHERE TO BUY:
Small red Potwheelz from Potwheelz.com
Standard green Potwheelz
Potwheelz Pot Mover from AM Leonard
