Nathan has previously written in Plews Potting Shed about caring for your garden tools, both garden power tools and garden hand tools.
I use tools for surveying the garden in the early stages of the design process; for planting up my garden designs; and for giving gardening lessons. The tools I use as a garden designer, are better discussed in another blog, as most of them are not ‘garden tools’ in the sense we’re talking about here.
The tools I use are often different ones to those used by Plews landscapers, for example, I rarely use power tools. And the hand tools I use are often more specific to particular gardening tasks, such as pruning topiary with special topiary shears.
I will also use secateurs of various kinds, depending on the shrub or herbaceous perennial I’m pruning; hand loppers; a dandelion, or perennial weed, remover to dig out deep tap roots easily; a dutch hoe; a border spade (more on this later) and a perennial spade.
I have many pairs of secateurs, not least because I frequently forget where I’ve put them down, so having three of the same type reduces the stress (they’re normally to be found in my back pocket; this is a version of the “where are my glasses?” cry when they’re perched on top of your head!)
I find a hoe useful for a quick bit of weeding; it takes the top off most annual weeds, and also loosens the top soil. This is useful on heavy clay soils where a crust may have formed on the soil surface, preventing the water from being easily absorbed.
Garden Tools – the Perennial Spade
I am currently in love with my perennial spade. Strictly speaking this is used for dividing and splitting the roots of herbaceous perennials, a task which the sharp blade performs excellently.
However, as the smallest person on the Plews team, as well as the quickest ‘planter’ I am frequently to be found tiptoeing round a flower border or raised bed with barely enough room for my size three and a half feet let alone a big spade as well. This is where my perennial spade has shown its versatility. The soil in the new border will have been prepared so it will be easy to dig, so most planting holes are able to be dug with my perennial spade rather than my border spade.
Where we’ve designed a garden with raised beds and raised borders for flowers and shrubs or for perennial fruit there is the immediate issue of not wanting to walk on the soil. One of the reasons of gardening using raised borders is so that it can all be reached form the sides, without any need to walk on the soil. This is achievable, but not always when we’re first planting up a raised bed with larger perennial plants and shrubs.
Guess what? Yet again my perennial spade and I have found a solution as there is no need to press down with a foot when using this type of garden spade, a hand is sufficient. In fact, I’ve been so impressed with its use in this situation that I am beginning to suggest its use to both the clients whose raised borders I’ve just planted as well as to my gardening students where they have raised beds.
Garden Tools and Gardening Lessons
The other time I use garden tools in a client’s garden is when I’m giving them a gardening lesson.
Having the correct garden tools for you and for your garden is generally the first item on a lesson plan in the first gardening lesson. It is probably more important to have the right garden tools than people realise.
So what do we discuss about the garden tools my new student may already have? There is actually too much to detail here, but briefly, we will firstly consider their garden, and the type of gardening that they’ll be doing.
For example, shrub borders that will need minimal digging over but will require the shrubs to be pruned regularly will mean that less could be spent on a spade; but more care and money should be spent on choosing the right pruning tools.
A gardening lesson where it’s clear that the student will be doing plenty of digging on the vegetable patch means we’ll look at different types and sizes of spades, forks and hoes. The client’s physicality is important; height, strength, any injuries would all need to be considered. Considerations of wooden handle and shaft, metal or plastic would be discussed, as would budget.
Its fine to buy a cheap spade if you’ll rarely be digging; but if you’re likely to be doing quite of bit of tilling of the soil, or indeed if you have a back injury, it makes sense to find the right spade for you, even if that means spending a bit more money.
Digging the Garden without Hurting Your Back
With particular regard to garden spades and garden forks, we also spend some time on learning how to dig properly, so as to minimise effort for the gardener and maximise the effect on the soil in the flower or vegetable border. I have spent some time with personal trainers and therapists to ensure both that I am digging in the most efficient manner and how I should be showing others to dig.
If we spend quite a bit of the first garden lesson discussing and using the student’s garden tools, its time well spent for their future gardening pleasure. We usually get some of the soil in the flower border dug over for practice, possibly some double digging; and then of course there’s the looking forward to a bit of retail therapy when more garden tools are needed!
Now you may accept that different garden tools are needed depending on the plants you have in your garden, but if you need proof that different tools are also needed to best suit the individual gardener, as well as the task, do take a look at the photo of Nathan and I – there’s no way we can easily use each other’s garden spade!
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Caring for garden tools, part one, hand tools
