If you have a garden, or want one, you can really break your budget on tools. Here are the top 5 tools you need for maintaining your garden.
MOWERS
If a lawn is part of your garden, you’ll probably need a mower. This, however, doesn’t have to be the roaring behemoths that wake everybody up on Saturday morning. You can get a reel-type mower to maintain your mower, and it will keep the turf trim and healthy. Reel-types don’t damage or burn the lawn as badly as some rotary mowers. If you want a power mower, you can get a small, electric one that won’t be as loud, either.
HEDGE TRIMMERS
Another power tool you may consider is a hedge trimmer. These handy tools actually help maintain more than just hedges. If your garden contains perennial flowers, the hedge trimmers can help to “deadhead” the plants, encouraging a second and even third blush of blooms. If you don’t want a power tool, hand-operated hedge trimmers work just as well.
LOPPERS
Ok, you may call them pruning shears, but if the hedge trimmer can’t cut it, you need to lop it off. To remove dead branches from shrubs and trees to improve their health, you need loppers. These are heavy duty cutters with long handles. The long handles give you the leverage you need to cut through thicker branches. Also, dead branches may be harder wood because they have dried out, so you’ll need to have the strength to cut through.
SOAKER HOSE
Yes, a soaker hose can be a tool. Sprinklers often waste water. Water that comes out of a sprinkler often evaporates more quickly. If there is any breeze, it will blow the water off-course, watering the fence or sidewalk rather than your plants. In fact, many areas in drought ban sprinklers, all together.
With a soaker hose, you can weave the hose around the area you wish to water. It will soak into the ground and saturate the area desired, promoting deep root growth and conserving water.
HOE
Unfortunately, you’ll probably need a hoe. Regardless of the size – whether it’s a large eye-hoe used in cotton fields or a narrow blade used for bedding plants. Your need will be based on the type of garden you have. A large vegetable garden will benefit from a large, heavy hoe that will break up the dirt and keep it loose for water absorption. For work close up under bedding plants, a 3-4 inch wide hoe is great for cultivating the soil in the flower beds.
For successful gardening, the best tool in your garden is you. Mom always said the best ingredient in a recipe was “elbow grease”. I always thought that was gross, but, it’s true! Your lawn mower, hedge trimmer, lopper, soaker hose, and hoe won’t do your garden any good if they’re not lubricated with plenty of “elbow grease”. So, hook up to that tool, and enjoy your beautiful garden!
Josh Andrews enjoys home improvement, and not just the TV show. When he isn’t pruning his garden or looking for ways to re-decorate a room, you’ll find him working for a company specialising in lawn care.