Garden Hand Tools

A beautiful garden rarely grows by itself. You have to get in the dirt and churn the soil, bed the plants, and pull pesky weeds. For that, you need some basic tools: a cultivator to turn the earth trowels for digging and planting, and a weeder for attacking invaders.

When you're working in the garden, having the right tools for the job can turn a back-breaking chore into a pleasure. Whatever jobs need to be tackled, whether you need to weed the flower beds, dig up daisies from the lawn, or you're starting a bigger project such as digging over an old bed and preparing it for new planting, make sure you have the right tools. They will reduce aching muscles and you'll get the job finished in no time!

When buying hand tools make sure they are well made because they take a beating. Look for tough handles and thick metal blades, and make sure the blade-handle connection is strong, because that's where tools usually bend and break. If the handle wiggles in the store, don't buy it. Brightly colored tools also help because they're harder to lose.

Once you've got the basics, add extras to suit your situation. If you have a rock garden, consider a narrow trowel for tight spaces. Heavy clay soil can be easier to plant with a dibber to punch seed holes. A gardener’s must-have extra is a pocket multi-tool that has a knife, screwdriver, and pliers to help you maintain your garden tools while working.

The gardener's basic kit should include, from left, a cultivator, a dibber, and a trowel.

Preparing the Soil
HAND HOE
For: Breaking up soil; making trenches; slicing out weeds from between plants. The hand hoe comes in several shapes, including heart and circle.

CULTIVATOR
For: Breaking up and mixing soil before planting; weeding between plants.
Digging and Planting

TROWEL
For: Digging to break up soil or make planting holes.

TRANSPLANTING TROWEL
For: Scooping plants from pots, flats, and cold-frames for transplanting, digging in tight spaces in rock gardens (but not for prying rocks).
Digging and Planting

SPADES AND FORKS
A spade and fork are essential tools for any gardener. As you will frequently use one or the other when working in your garden, be sure to choose the right size to prevent tired, aching muscles. Choose from two shaft lengths, 28ins and 32ins depending on your height and what feels most comfortable. Ask yourself what type of digging you're likely to be doing because this will influence the head width you need to choose.

Do you have narrow border beds, or a big area such as a vegetable plot? If the area you're digging is big, choose a wide head to get the job done quicker. But bear in mind that a spade or fork with a wider head will be heavier so if you have difficulty bending and lifting, choose one with a narrower head.

For extra strength, make sure you choose a model with a solid forged carbon steel head and socket, and a weatherproofed hardwood shaft which fits into the socket. Many have a tread or flattened area along the top of the head and this will feel more comfortable when you place your foot on it. The choice of handle is one of personal preference. D-shaped, wishbone or T-shaped handles are all a matter of personal preference but be sure to check that the handle on the model you choose is big enough for you to grip comfortably even when you're wearing gloves. Some models have a special ergonomic handle, which is tilted at a forward angle to reduce fatigue by making digging more comfortable. Heads made from highly polished steel or with a PTFE coating will minimise soil stick and will be rust resistant too. PTFE works like the coating on a non-stick pan and protects the head from wear and tear.

DIGGING SPADE
For: Digging over larger plots or digging on a regular basis. The blade is approximately 11 x 7ins. The best method is to choose an even bigger blade for large areas, but remember that bigger spades will be heavier.

BORDERSPADE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            For: Use in small, narrow borders and beds. With a blade approximately 9 x 5ins, a border spade is narrower and lighter than a digging spade, making it easier to use in confined spaces, as well as being ideal for anyone with limited bending and lifting ability.

DIGGING FORK
For: digging a bigger plot or digging on a regular basis. The fork head is approximately 12 x 8ins with four tines, or prongs.

BORDER FORK
For: Use in small, narrow borders and beds. A border fork has a narrower head than a digging fork, and measures approximately 9 x 5ins with four tines, or prongs.

HAND FORK
For: Use hand weeding a small area or loosen the soil in pots and tubs? A small hand fork is ideal for this kind of job. And if bending is a problem go for a long handled version as it will be more comfortable to use. Small tools like hand forks often get lost amongst the shrubbery, so a brightly colored handle will help you to keep track of it!

WIDGER
For: Prying out small seedlings for transplanting; sliding seeds down blade groove into a hole.

BULB PLANTER
For: Lifting out a perfectly sized plug of soil from prepared beds to plant bulbs.

DIBBER
For: Poking holes in prepared soil to plant seeds (a finger or broken tool handle could do in a pinch).

Planting tools
TROWELS
For: When you're planting up your patio pots, moving plants around the garden or transplanting them into bigger beds, you'll find a trowel very useful. For general use choose a standard size trowel with a wider blade, but if you're transplanting young plants then a special transplanting trowel which has a much narrower blade is a better choice. Many transplanting trowels come with a depth gauge conveniently marked along the blade to help you plant to the correct depth.

BULB PLANTERS
For: A bulb planter is simply invaluable especially if you're planting lots of them. Simply push it into the soil then withdraw to removes a plug of soil. This makes it easy to pop the bulb into the hole and then replace the soil plug. Choose one with a planting depth gauge conveniently marked along the side to help you plant different types of bulbs to the correct depth.

DIBBER
For: A dibber looks like the T-handle of a spade with a pointed end. Used to make a hole in the soil it is often used when planting seedlings, particularly for vegetables such as leeks and brassicas.
Pruning and cutting tools
Choose the best cutting tools you can afford and with care they should last for years. Blades made from carbon steel provide lasting sharpness and a coating makes them rust resistant providing a smooth precise cut.

SECATEURS AND LOPPERS
For: The key to most pruning jobs around the garden, there are two kinds of secateurs and loppers:
1. Anvil secateurs and loppers
Anvil models work with one cutting blade moving against a blunt, or anvil bar. Because the anvil bar is made of softer metal is doesn't blunt the sharp cutting blade.
2. Bypass secateurs and loppers
Bypass models have two cutting blades and are similar to scissors. Whichever type you choose is a matter of personal preference.
Prune stems up to about 1cm diameter using a pair of secateurs. For anything bigger - up to about 3cm diameter - you will need a pair of loppers. Loppers are long handled secateurs. The long handles give good leverage on thicker branches but for extra cutting power choose a model with a ratchet mechanism. Do you need to cut the branches of tall trees sometimes? If you do, choose a pair of loppers with adjustable telescopic twist handles which will provide you with the extra reach you need as well as being extremely convenient to use.

SHEARS
For: Shears are large scissors and are generally used to cut hedges, trim borders or smaller areas of grass where a lawnmower simply would not reach. For more information on border and grass cutting shears, see

HEDGE SHEARS
For: Designed for tight, compact hedges, shrubbery and larger topiary specimens. If your hedge is tall and you need to use a stepladder to reach tall branches, why not consider buying a pair of shears with telescopic handles. Some come with a cutting head which you can adjust to a 90 degree angle to cut along the top of the hedge whilst standing on the ground. Others are notched as well which allows you to cut through thicker stems.

SAWS
For: Saws are useful for cutting thick branches or even cutting down a tree. There are two types of gardening saw, a pruning saw and a bow saw.

PRUNING SAW
For: A pruning saw has a handle at one end of a tapering blade, so it's easy to get into overgrown areas of the tree without damaging adjacent branches. Choose a model with small teeth at the tip for when you begin the cut and a blade that cuts on the forward and backward motion to get the job done quickly.

BOW SAW
For: A bow saw has a bow handle and the blade is held between the two ends. Because the bow handle is quite large, this type of saw is normally used to cut up the branch after it has been removed from the tree and needs to be disposed of.

Cultivator
The cultivator is ideal for breaking down large clumps of compacted soil, which stubbornly remain even after the earth has been dug over. There are several designs but generally the cultivator head on the end of a long straight shaft has three or five angled prongs with sharp ends, almost like arrow heads and when you pull them through the soil they break it up. Some cultivators have two handles that can be twisted with a push-pull action so that the prongs, which are all set at different angles, are rotated backwards and forwards through the soil. Cultivator tools are useful for loosening and aerating the soil or lifting weeds especially where the soil is heavy and difficult to work and you are preparing it for seed or replanting.

HOE
For: Use when you need to weed amongst the flower beds or you want to loosen compacted soil, then a hoe is ideal, especially if you have to reach over other plants to the back of the bed.

DUTCH HOE
For: Dutch hoe is a versatile, all-rounder. It comes with a D-shaped head on the end of a long shaft and moving it backwards and forwards across the surface of the soil will slice through weeds at the base of the stem and loosen surface soil.

DRAW HOE
For: A draw hoe is ideal when you want to draw the soil around the stems of plants, earth up potatoes or create a seed drill. The head is a blade set at approximately 90 degrees from the long shaft - you simply draw or pull the hoe towards you in a chopping motion. A draw hoe is not ideal for weeding.

HAND FORK                                                                                                                                                                                     

Do you need to hand weed a small area or loosen the soil in pots and tubs? Small tools like hand forks often get lost amongst the shrubbery, so a brightly colored handle will help you to keep track of it!

RAKE 

There are several types of rakes but for cultivation choose a simple garden rake. Use it to level or clear the ground of stones and other debris or break down dug over soil prior to planting or seeding. The head consists of 12 rigid teeth which are set at 90 degrees to a straight bar and as you pull the rake across the soil it will collect stones and debris as well as break up bigger clumps of soil. For a big area, consider a rake with a wider head, but remember it will be heavier so it could be tiring to use. For more information on lawn and leaf rakes, see 'Your guide to lawn care tools'.
Weeding and Cleaning

HAND RAKE
For: Cleaning between plants without damaging them. Some hand rakes have an adjustable harp to change the width of the head.

CAPE COD WEEDER
(also known as a Yankee weeder or crack weeder)
For: Scraping weeds out of cracks between paving stones or rocks.

TAPROOT WEEDER
(also known as a grubber or dandelion weeder)
For: Levering out thick roots or tenacious weeds.

FISHTAIL WEEDER
For: Levering small weeds out of the ground by the root.

Gardener’s Protection
If you're going to garden with hand tools, get yourself something to protect your hands and knees: gloves supple enough to let you manipulate tools, and knee pads or a cushioned mat to give your joints some relief from the hard soil.
Looking after your garden hand tools

When buying garden tools think of them as a long-term investment and go for the best quality you can afford. Better quality tools will outlast their cheaper rivals and with good care they should last for years to come.

1. Protect digging tools from rust by removing any soil. Oil them lightly before you put them away, or spray with WD40
2. Clean the blades of cutting tools with a damp cloth, dry thoroughly and oil lightly to ensure they remain sharp
3. Sharpen blades as soon as they begin to blunt
4. Replace any blades that are damaged
5. Store your tools in a clean dry place