Gardening tools you need for the perfect garden

Many beginner gardeners are unsure of where to start with purchasing tools for their garden. At Rathwood, we have put together a small list of the core items that every gardener needs to help their little green haven flourish.

Hand trowel

This is one of the most basic tools to have in the garden, it is needed for planting, repotting and transplanting. They are also used to dig up weeds and digging up small plants. It is a small tool that comes in different width sizes which have specific jobs. Most of them have stainless steel spades with wooden or metal handles.  They need to be cleaned and wiped after every use. They should always be stored hanging in a cool and dry place.

Gardening gloves

Using gardening gloves is essential to avoid getting pricked by thorns or scratched and scraped. It is necessary to choose the correct gloves for gardening as there are many to choose from which range from rubber coated gloves, cloth gloves and leather gloves. Most people wear gloves to keep their hands clean and dry, to avoid blisters, pricks and scratches, protecting their hands and skins from bug bites and harmful gardening chemicals. The most common types of gardening gloves are the cloth ones as they can be washed and they are easier to use due to the cotton material that they are made from. The best gloves to use would be the rubber coated gloves as they offer the best protection from gardening chemicals.

Spade

This is used for light preparations as they help to reshape plant beds and create deeper holes for planting. They have a long narrow blade which helps it carve out deep holes into the soil to make clear root systems for planting. Most spades have wooden handles and stainless steel blades.

Rake

This  is one of the most versatile tools in any garden as it can be used to break up soil, create holes for planting new seeds, mix in treatments for the soil as well as removing weeds and stones from the soil. They are usually made from steel and take away from a huge chunk of gardening work such as transplanting as the fork can divide through the weeds without destroying the roots of the plant.

Shovel

A shovel is another basic tool for most gardening activities such as adding compost to a plant or removing soil from a plant. It is important to invest in a good quality shovel as they will be used very often when gardening. There are different types but the most popular shovels are long handled shovels and short handled shovels. We also a kids range of gardening tools so tthey can also get stuck into the gardening with you.