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The average rating for Bark Gardeners is 4.81, based on 14,969 reviews
5/5
based on 14,969 reviews
Whether you’re a fresh-faced beginner or a seasoned expert in the garden, gardening success cannot be achieved without the right garden tools. Whether it’s the perfect tool to keep your lawn looking its best or the right-sized tool to create the perfect raised bed, the correct application of the right tool really matters. Yet, with such a vast section of gardening tools out there, how do we know which is the right tool for the job and how do we know which one to use?
Without taking into consideration the multitude of gardening tools a professional gardener may use, these essential tools can be narrowed down into five different examples. Having these five different tools in your garden shed will equip you with the means to keep your garden maintained. Let’s take a look at the top five essential tools for gardening and how they can help you to maintain a healthy garden.
Arguably one of the most important tools when it comes to gardening, the garden shovel is both versatile and a workhorse. This angled blade is sharpened and ideal for digging a range of holes and trenches, perfect for all sorts of garden jobs and tasks. Being able to dig holes to plant flowers and trees is possible with a garden shovel.
You can also move different fertilizers with your shovel, improving the overall quality of the soil. Shovels can also dig out intrusive roots and weeds that take up valuable space in the garden. It is always important to keep your shovel sharp to improve digging. Sharpening your shovel every season is a reasonable amount of time to keep it at its best.
While many people think that the garden spade and the garden shovel are the same, there is a distinct difference, and having both is important. As opposed to a shovel’s curved, angled blade, the garden spade has a flat squared-off blade and usually has a shortened handle. The square blade means that the spade can be used for cutting in edges for a flower bed or cutting out turf and grass in perfect angular squares.
When looking for a garden spade, it is often best to opt for a stainless steelhead. These spades will resist wear and tear far more easily and stop any rust developing on the blade, something that can weaken the tool after minimal use. It is also a good idea to buy a spade that firmly connects to the handle, as this can be the spade’s weakest point.
Although the affectionate label of being green-fingered is batted around a lot, gardening can be a bit of a hazardous job for the hands and protecting them is key. The best way of protecting your hands from all the possible hazards is with a pair of gardening gloves. Different types of gloves protect you from different types of things, so it is advisable to keep a number of different gloves around.
A pair of leather-styled gloves are ideal for avoiding things such as blisters on your hands from digging, sawing and shovelling. A pair of wide-cuffed or long gloves will protect your hands from thorns or plants that can sting, such as nettles or poison ivy. There are gloves that combine all of these elements and even have palm and knuckle padding; these are ideal for all kinds of gardening tasks.
There are few tools that have more of a gardener’s image than the trowel. This shortly shaped spade is the perfect tool for doing intricate work such as planting seedlings, planting bulbs and any other small plants. This enables you to move soil and dig without damaging the root systems of plants or interfering with other plant’s growth. The curved blade of the trowel is its defining element, yet you can buy a variety of different trowels with multiple finishes.
One of the most popular finishes on a trowel is to have a serrated edge on one side. This edge is perfect for cutting through roots or even digging out shallow-rooted weeds like crabgrass.
Another tool that many new gardeners will overlook is another protective one. Having a set of kneepads or a kneeler to kneel on is a Godsend, especially when doing those fall and winter jobs that require you to kneel on the frozen ground. Many of the garden jobs will require you to kneel over the soil. Being knelt in this position for a long time can lead to painful legs and other medical conditions.
A kneeler is a piece of foam that can be moved from place to place, while kneepads strap directly to your legs. When choosing between a kneeler or a set of kneepads, there is no right answer, it is all down to personal preference.
Although this list of essential tools is short, the perfect mix of protective wear and sharp gardening tools will equip you with most of what you need. Buying these five simple tools will have you well on the way to creating your perfect garden, and if not, you can always call a professional gardener to help you get started. They'll have the full list of gardening tools, as well as the relevant skills and experience to whip your green space into shape. Whether you're looking for gardening services in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary or more, find thousands of local gardening services on Bark.
Wondering how much a gardener costs? Check out how much you'll pay for gardening services in Canada in our handy price guide.
The average rating for Bark Gardeners is 4.81, based on 14,969 reviews
5/5
based on 14,969 reviews
Want to take care of your garden but don’t have time to do it yourself? It’s time to call in an expert! Read on to find out how much you’ll pay for a gardener based on your garden size, the type of job and your location.
