FAB FIVE TOOLS
Must-haves in the garden
Call me nosy, but when I visit someone’s garden, I love to get a peek into their tool shed. The condition and selection of their garden tools tell me a lot about the their garden and what they produce. In other words, “show me your tools and I will tell you something about yourself.”
Where garden tools are concerned, I have my very favourites and I have a couple of tips to help you get the most use of your tools. But let’s first agree that the purpose of any garden tool is to make a job easier, faster and/or more effective (like weeding or watering). As useful as our hands are, they have their limitations. Watering can
You will need one regardless if you plant on acreage or a small condo balcony. And it is important to know that not all watering cans are created equal. I like a large capacity can to minimize my trips to the rain barrel or faucet. Look for a good balance when the can is full, as most watering cans are easy to lift when they are empty, but very hard on the wrist when full. Imagine yourself walking with a watering can in both hands …
A good watering can has a great “throw.” This is the distance that water travels when you tip it to apply water to a plant. A balanced watering can with a great throw saves a lot of bending over and is much more accurate than a cheap, plastic version. Look for a long spout (about 60 to 80 centimetres), an optional “rose” or breaker for applying water to tender young plants and heavyduty construction. Vertical support
Every gardener has places where they want to maximize the performance of their plants while taking advantage of vertical space. This is especially true of balcony and rooftop gardeners, but suburban gardeners with a patio, deck or porch also want to get the colour and fruit of their plants up, off the ground.
Link stakes are a great help at making the most of vertical spaces. Available in a wide variety of lengths and capacities, link stakes fit together to form a chain of support. They are flexible enough to form around most tall plants, including vines that need support to grow up and flower where they can be appreciated and seen.
Note: Clematis will flower with greater profusion and a tomato more than doubles its crop when they are supported in this way. Stainless steel hand scoop
Forget the dinky hand trowel. I like the volume of soil that I can move with a large scoop. This saves me time and effort as I can dig a planting hole in much less time than it takes with a traditional sized trowel. A well-made garden scoop is strong enough to dig holes in reasonably heavy soil. The stainless-steel construction is much less “sticky” to soil than plain steel is. It cleans up nicely and stainless steel always looks great hanging in my shed or garage. Hand pruners
This time of year, I reach for my hand pruners almost daily. Many plants need to be deadheaded (the finished flowers removed), others demand to be cut back to keep them under control and I use mine to cut flowers to bring them indoors. Once in the kitchen, I trim excess stems from cut flowers to arrange them in a vase using a quality pair of hand pruners.
Look for a pair of pruners that feel comfortable in your hand and a cutting blade that is made of high carbon steel that is coated in titanium, which will hold a sharp cutting edge for a long time. Be sure to sharpen and clean your pruners after every use. That way, they will feel like new every time you use them. A couple of drops of sewing machine oil in the moving parts also help to keep them in top shape. Gloves
I am a fanatic about using gloves in the garden. It is not enough that many plants have thorns, a stinging nettle can jump up and bite you (seemingly) or that soil sucks moisture from your skin as you work. I just like the protection that a good pair of gloves provides.
I recommend trying on gloves on before buying to make sure they’re a good fit:
Tight, but not too tight. Flexible, with a protective finger tip that repels moisture as you work. A neoprene finger tip can extend the life of a pair of gloves by up to five times. It is always the finger tip that wears out first. The palm of the glove should be water resistant, but not water tight, or your hands will sweat like crazy. The back of a quality pair of gloves should be made of an open-weave fabric that breathes, again, to help keep your hands stay cool while mucking about in the damp soil.