Mar

23

Gardening: My Favorite Gardening Tools/Aids

Posted by maureen

March 23, 2007 |

shovel_in_a_heap_of_dirt.jpgGardening is a great hobby for all ages although the likelihood of gardening as a hobby increases with age, 33 percent of those aged 60 and older list gardening as one of their hobbies. It’s easy to see why. It’s a great hobby if you like to spend time outdoors getting in touch with nature. It also offers a way of staying active and can give a good deal of satisfaction watching plants and flowers bloom and flourish. It can be as inexpensive and simple as a small flower garden or a patio garden of several pots, No matter whether you are an established gardener or eager to start a new hobby there are a few basic items that I find invaluable (I’ll omit the obvious lawn mover as a yard essential):

Trowel: The trowel is essential for digging holes for planting smaller plants and bulbs. The strongest trowels are made of steel. Handles are fashioned of wood or easy grip plastic.

Shovel: A shovel is essential for planting shrubs, small trees and other live goods. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes when buying a shovel, take the time to find one whose lift and handle length are comfortable for you.

Wheelbarrow/ lawn cart: A wheelbarrow can be used for a variety of gardening activities from moving mulch or dirt to the flower bed to taking plants and shrubs to their new home. Whether you choose a conventional wheelbarrow or a garden cart or buggy depends on the tasks you will be performing.

Pruning Shears: A good pair of pruning shears or secateurs is vital for any gardener to trim rose bushes and shrubs. I prefer the by-pass type over the anvil pruners because they make a cleaner cut.

Garden Hose: Buy a good quality hose that meets your needs as far as length…there’s nothing as frustrating as coming up short when it’s time to water! I recommend buying a rack or reel to keep the hose for convenience and for storage.

Edger: I like to edge all the garden beds with an edger at the beginning of the season. It gives them a very crisp, sharp, defined look especially when you mulch. This moon shape hand tool is a must for me.

Spreader: If you’ve ever tried to fertilizes a lawn or garden by hand you will know how difficult it is to get an even spread. Some areas get too much fertilizer while other areas get none. Spreaders help all areas get the right amount.

Rake: Experts agree the best selections are metal rakes, although they will cost a little more than the plastic or wood varieties. Rakes with metal tines tend to last longest. They also can make the job easier because the teeth don’t bend when they hit a heavy patch of leaves.

Hedge Trimmers: I choose an electric trimmer because there are quiet, lighter and easier to start than gas trimmers. They may be less powerful than gas hedge trimmers, but are ideal for most applications.

Miracle-Gro Liquid Feeder: I used this last year and the plants and shrubs really thrived and looked great. The best part is that the feeder is easy to use and there’s no guess work involved: simply attach the feeder to the garden hose, insert the refill bottle into the feeder and then spray plants and flowers. One refill bottle with feed 400 sq. ft. in approximately 15 minutes. It is ideal for all types of flowers, vegetables, trees, shrubs and lawns. Use every 7-14 days to make a real difference to your garden.primrose_with_spade2.jpg

Preen’n Green: I like to apply Preen’n Green weed preventer & fertilizer at the beginning of the season (early spring) before I mulch. It prevents new weeds from growing but does not kill existing weeds so I apply it early in the season to prevent summer weeds from growing It is safe and effective on bulbs, flowers, roses, shrubs, trees and vegetables. It is easy to use and comes in a granular form with a dispenser

Gardening Gloves. I have to admit that I use the cheapest gloves and replace them each year. I don’t like anything to thick or clumsy but there are some excellent gloves on the market that will meet your specific preference.

Happy gardening!


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  1. Gardening: My Favorite Gardening Tools/Aids | My Gardening Home Blog on April 3, 2007 4:34 pm

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