Essential Tools Every New Gardener Needs
You don’t need anything fancy or expensive to get started in gardening. A few hand tools for a new gardener will be adequate enough and fit nicely into a small tool belt or apron for easy access. These may include items such as:
Gloves: Invest in a good pair that fit well. Gardening gloves should be breathable and waterproof. You won’t regret spending a little extra on these.
Trowel or spade: A small garden trowel is indispensable for digging holes for transplants and turning soil. Get one with depth measurements for an added function.
Hand pruner: With a hand pruner you can trim back smaller branches and shrubs, cut through roots while digging, and divide root balls.
Spray bottle: If you intend on spending much of your time in a greenhouse or other indoor setting, a good spray bottle for misting plants can be essential.
Scissors: Gardening scissors come in handy for harvesting herbs, deadheading spent blooms, and cutting flowers for indoor arrangements.
Larger, beginner gardener tools for storing in your shed or garage include:
Shovel: A good, long-handled shovel can do many jobs. You’ll want it for digging bigger holes, turning soil, moving mulch, and digging out perennials to divide or transplant.
Hoe or garden fork: Hoes and garden forks are different tools, but as a beginner you can get away with one or the other. They help break up soil and dig out weeds.
Hose and watering can: Watering plants is an almost daily task in gardening. Both a hose and a watering can are useful in getting this chore done.
Wheelbarrow: For bigger jobs and larger gardens, a wheelbarrow will save your back. Use it to easily move large plants to far corners or add soil or mulch to your beds.
Caring for Your New Gardener Tools
To keep your new gardener tools in good working condition, clean and store them properly after every use. Hose down tools after they’ve been put to use and dry them thoroughly with a rag to prevent rusting. Hang larger tools in the garage or tool shed so that they are easy to access. A couple of nails in the wall provide a simple way to hang shovels and other tools. The smaller tools for your tool belt or apron can be stored as-is, but make sure they are clean and dry.
