15 Essential Gardening Tools For Beginners (Must Have)

When it comes to gardening, having the right tools is important – because without them, you make your job ten times harder. You need to have good quality implements that you can rely on, without having to spend hours hacking or scraping because the tool is not up to the job.

In this article, we’re going to look at some top tools that you will benefit from buying. Without these, you’ll find it much harder to get going in the garden, and you may get put off before you’ve really even started. So without further ado, let’s explore the full list of essential gardening tools for beginners.

 Recommended Tools – A Quick Glance

15 Essential Gardening Tools for Beginners

1. Pruning Shears or Secateurs

Without shears, you are going to struggle with anything that needs cutting – flower heads, fruit, dead leaves, herbs, etc. Shears might be the most fundamental tool in your gardening arsenal.

These are long handled to make it easier to reach tricky stems, and they have stainless steel blades, so they shouldn’t rust even when they get damp from the sap of plants. They also have a shock-absorbing spring, making the work easier on your hands, and a clip to secure them shut when they aren’t being used.

 2. Hori-Hori Gardening Knife

A gardening knife is also crucial; sometimes you need to saw, rather than snip. With a serrated edge and a straight edge, this is multi-functional and comes with a leather sheath so you can put it safely away after use. The blade measures just over seven inches, and it has a robust wooden handle.

3. Hand Rake

For scraping up leaves and loosening soil, a hand rake is a must-have tool. This one has seven-inch tines and it’s ideal for tight spaces where a full size rake would be difficult to maneuver. You can use it to redistribute bark chippings, clear leaves from planters, and loosen the surface of the soil.

4. Hand Shovel/Transplanter

You can’t garden without a hand shovel; it is absolutely key to any new gardener’s kit. If you have plants ready to go into the ground, you can use your shovel to scoop out a space for them, or to dig up weeds that you want to remove. With an ergonomic handle and a heavy duty, stainless steel blade, this should last you for years.

5. Bulb Planter

A bulb planter is another great tool to lighten the load in the garden. This one lets you speed up your planting massively, and gives you consistent planting depths to make sure your bulbs are deep enough.

6. Bow Rake

 

This rake is ideal for leaves in the fall, and it has a sixteen tine head, as well as a long handle to help reach further. With commercial grade steel and a fiberglass handle, it’s both light and robust, so it’s perfect for long hours outdoors.

7. Digging Fork

Having a good quality digging fork is a must. This one will give you excellent leverage, good spread, and superb durability. It is made of stainless steel and has four strong prongs that will go deep into the earth.

Whether you are breaking up soil or turning your new compost heap, a digging fork is a must-have for any beginner gardener, and this one is good for any job.

8. Pruner (Lopping Shears)

When you need some extra reach, these looping shears will be your friend. At 28 inches, they are long enough to reach high branches, and they can cut through branches over an inch thick. They will not gum up with sap too quickly, and they have shock-absorbing bumpers to protect your arms from being jarred when you cut branches.

9. Round-Headed Shovel

This shovel has wings on the sides to help you carry more soil at once, preventing it from spilling off the edges. The wings also give you more push to get the shovel into the ground. This shovel only weighs 6 lbs., which makes it perfect for long hours in the garden.

10. Digging Bar

Made of commercial grade steel, with a 3/8-inch head and a 69 inch handle, this bar is perfect for tamping and digging. It will brute force its way through any tough soil, and you can use the end for hammering jobs, making this a two-in-one tool that’s bound to come in handy.

11. Garden Hose with Adjustable Nose

Ten different functions for just one hose, this is fifty feet long and will meet any watering needs your plants have. Whether you need a strong jet or a gentle spray, it’s got a mode to suit your needs.

12. Water Wand

Sometimes, you need a hose that can travel with you, and the Water Wand will bring magic to your plants. It is sixteen inches long and gives you far more reach for watering hanging baskets without getting soaked yourself.

13. Gardening Hat

You need to protect yourself in the garden, too, and a sun hat is a great way to ensure your face does not get burned if you’re spending long hours outside. This hat has a wide brim and a wind lanyard to make sure it always stays on your head.

14. Gardening Gloves

Unless you want fingers full of thorns, you’ll need some gloves, and these goatskin leather ones are tough enough for tackling brambles and thistles. They come in a range of colors and extend up your arms, protecting more than just your hands. They are particularly useful if you’re pruning prickly plants like roses.

15. Knee Pads

If you’re potting up plants or kneeling to weed, you’ll find these knee pads extremely useful. They have soft linings and a simple hook system to keep them in place, and they will make you so much more comfortable when you are working around the garden.

Last Word

It’s important to choose tools that are useful to you, as well as tools that will last. Look around your garden and think about the chores that you need to do. If you are pruning regularly, get yourself some shears. If you’re struggling to water, consider an extendable hose or a watering wand.

Thinking carefully about what you use will help you pick the perfect tools, making gardening a far more enjoyable job.

 

Bonus Infographic