Walk around a large garden centre or DIY superstore in spring and you will be confronted by a large assortment of gardening tools and equipment. You could be excused for thinking that the number of different types of gardening tools must have increased in recent years - but you would be wrong. In a textbook written more than 300 years ago there is a list of well over 100 tools for the keen gardener, and Victorian catalogues offered hundreds of different sorts of hoes, forks, spades etc.
The basic armoury has declined, but the average cost and complexity have greatly increased. There is also a large number of different brands of each item, so you have to choose with great care. A well-known name on the handle is a safeguard, but it can also mean a higher price. With tools you usually get what you pay for (but not always), so it is wise to avoid low-priced offers of unknown origin for tools that you intend to use constantly. Stainless steel certainly looks attractive, but ordinary steel is much cheaper and is quite satisfactory if cared for properly.
Gardening
Your first job is to decide which type of tool or tools you plan to buy. Having the right equipment for gardening will always make the work easier. For the elderly and the handicapped choosing wisely is even more important, it sometimes means the difference between being able to do a task or not.
Now you know what to look for, you must select a suitable example from your supplier. By all means be guided by the maker's name, the shopkeeper's advice and the manufacturer's advertisement, but for many tools it is essential for you to ensure that the item suits the user. With spades, forks, hoes, secateurs and so on you must see that both the weight and balance are suitable. A spade which is 'right' for a strong youth would be quite wrong for a small elderly lady or gentleman.
For the keen gardener with money to spare the most difficult task is to decide just how many tools to buy. Underneath is a general basic list for a small garden, but the exact list which would be right for you is something that only you can decide. However, any item on the basic list below which you do not buy will undoubtedly increase the chore of gardening.
What People Should Buy
Basic List:
Spade, Fork, Hoe, Rake, Trowel, Lawn Mower, Watering can. Plus, Secateurs if roses and/or shrubs are grown. Shears, if hedges are grown. Sprayer, if roses,vegetables and/or fruit is grown. Hose pipe, if the lawn is feature. Lawn edger, also for the lawn. Garden line, if vegetables are grown. Gloves, if prickly plants are grown. Wheelbarrow, if plants or manure have to be moved. Motor mower, if the lawn is over 70 sq. yards.
What People Do Buy
Universal:
Spade, Fork, Rake, Trowel, Mower, Secateurs.
Common:
Hoe, Watering can, Shears, Hose pipe, Fork, Mower.
Uncommon:
Wheel barrow, Sprayer, Gardening gloves, Lawn edger, Sprinkler.
Rare:
Power tools, Roller, Cloches, Lawn spreader, Long-handled pruner.
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