Gardening Essentials
Whether you're new to gardener or setting up for your twentieth spring season of planting, certain gardening tools and supplies are essential to success. Here's our favourite tools for new gardeners and seasoned experts—time to stock up that gardening shed!
Digging Tools
Getting those plants into your garden beds means you have to dig! A tool that everyone needs is a handy, strong trowel. They come in a number of shapes and sizes, so choose one or more that feel right for you. Larger digging tools, like spades and shovels, will help when you are filling garden beds or adding compost and other materials to your garden soil.
We especially love DeWit tools for gardeners. These handcrafted tools last years and have many with heirloom qualities. They also come with a lifetime warranty against defects, just in case! DeWit makes all kinds of tools from trowels to handforks and cultivators.
Watering Tools
Keeping your plants hydrated is the only way they survive the summer! Make it easier on yourself by using tools like water handles and wands that extend your reach. These tools often have a nozzle with different settings so that you can softly water delicate plants or really soak those shrubs.
Watering cans are another staple for gardeners, especially if you have container gardens on your patio or balcony. Potted plants will need watering throughout the year if they are kept undercover. It's amazing how fast soil in your pots can dry out under the sun—even when your garden beds are still moist. If you have a lot of potted plants then you can always use your hose to get them all (without having to refill a watering can) and a watering wand attachment is perfect for reaching those hanging baskets! But for outdoor planters outside the reach of your hose, get a large watering can that you can easily lift when full. An easy way to make sure your planters are getting fertilizer is by using dissolving water-soluble types right in your watering can.
Gardening Gloves
Protect your hands from dirt, rocks, sticks, prickles and sap with a comfy pair of sturdy gloves. There are a lot of different brands—choosing the right pair includes trying them on to find a good fit, looking at the materials to see if it matches the kind of garden work you are doing, and picking out a pair that look great. For heavy duty work (cutting shrubs, moving branches, etc) get a hardy, leather or rubber pair. For lighter gardener duty, you can stick with fabric or other thinner materials that give you more grip and movement.
Kneeling Pads
Long hours in the garden can play havoc with your knees! Kneeling pads, stools, and other useful equipment can extend your work hours and help you get more done. Hose them off afterwards to keep them clean and ready for your next gardening adventure.
Find ideas on stocking up a potting shed for all seasons over here.
Other Tools
As your gardening journey continues, you'll discover there are tools for every task. Multi-use tools are the best, as they can be pulled out again and again for different seasons and jobs.
We love the Dutch Hoe for its easy-of-use and versatile functionality. It will help you quickly weed garden beds in the spring, dig in compost in the summer, and clean up leaves and debris in the fall.
See our helpful video on using a Dutch Hoe over here.
Other tools, such as a wooden dibber for planting seeds, are wonderful additions to your tool shed. Browse the garden centre and start making a list of tools that you'd like to add to your collection (especially when birthdays and Christmas start coming around!) Every garden is different, and so is every gardener, so have fun finding your style and personal approach to planting and growing.
Looking for gift ideas for gardeners? Check out our top ten list over here.