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Top 10 essential garden tools to maintain your EPIC landscape
Luke Robertson • Jan 02, 2020
Being a landscape designer is hugely satisfying...
One of the most satisfying experiences we commonly come across is dealing with clients who admit they are not green-thumbed, however, by the end of the design and construction process, they have become inspired to learn how to maintain their new landscape to be the best it can be.
But what should you have in the tool shed?
It’s easy to go overboard when purchasing gardening tools and it can be overwhelming to walk into a hardware shop and know what to buy. So, to give you an idea of the essential ‘tools’ you need, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 essential garden tools you should look at purchasing to make your job easier.
Tools can take up a lot space and cost a lot of money, but staying focused on the basics can keep your shed or storage area from becoming overcrowded. There’s always bigger and better; but buying the best quality tools that your budget will allow, and maintaining them, can go a long way in getting the most out of your investment.
1. Gloves
While gardening can be a wonderful hobby, it can quickly turn into a thorny and splintery hassle without the right pair of gloves.
• Gloves should be durable but not too bulky.
• Fit is important, as poorly fitting gloves can cause blisters or result in accidents from slipping off.
• Fabrics that are water resistant, but also breathable, will help keep hands cool and comfortable.
After years working in the horticulture industry, we have tried plenty of different gloves and highly recommend the ‘Showa 310’
2. Pruning Shears
Hand pruners, also called secateurs, help reign in plants that are getting out of control and taking over. Anvil-style pruners cut with a sharp blade meeting a flat surface, similar to a knife on a board. Bypass pruners cut with a sharp blade passing by a sharp-edged flat surface, more like scissors. Anvil pruners are best for dead wood as they can cause crush injuries to fresh, green stems and branches.
• Bypass pruners are better for live plants and green wood.
• Pruners should fit easily in the palm of your hand.
• Ratcheting pruners provide increased cutting strength, perfect for anyone with reduced hand strength or arthritis.
• For cleaner cuts and less injury to plants, pruners should be sharpened regularly.
A quality pair of secateurs will be one of the best investments you will make. We highly recommend you buy the best your budget will allow as they will last longer and provide a better cut which will lead to better plant health.
3. Loppers
Another cutting tool, loppers are basically long-handled pruners used to trim hard to reach areas and cut thicker branches. The long handles provide the leverage it takes to cut through branches up to two cm’s or more in diameter. There is both anvil and bypass types, just like pruners. Handles generally range from 40-90 cm’s.
• Bypass loppers are more precise in the cut location than anvil style.
• Longer handled loppers can be heavy. Know what you’ll be cutting and how far you’ll need to reach and get the appropriate length.
• Lightweight aluminium or carbon-composite handles can be lighter.
• Like pruners, keep lopper blades in good condition and sharpen regularly.
4. Garden Fork
An efficient tool for turning soil, garden forks can dig into dense soil better than a spade.
• Forks with a slight curve to the spines are useful for scooping mulch or turning compost piles, much like a pitchfork.
• Straight tines are better for digging; great for compacted, rocky, or clay soil.
• Square tines are stronger than flat tines which can bend when they hit a rock or root.
5. Hedge trimmer
Hedges commonly form the backbone of the garden, and when trimmed regularly, they provide a great low maintenance solution for layering and garden definition.
Whilst electric or petrol-powered trimmers are available, using hand shears while the hedge is establishing is the best answer.
• Cost effective over mechanical options.
• Provide better control for precise trimming of topiary or immature hedges.
• Trimmer should be light but strong and easy to use.
• For cleaner cuts and less injury to plants, pruners should be sharpened regularly.
In our landscape design Christchurch NZ show garden, we use a ‘Spear & Jackson’ Hedge Shears.
6. Spade
These short-handled square spades
are garden workhorses. They make easy work of digging holes for plants, edging, lifting turf, and moving small mounds of dirt from one area to another. This tool can be more on the pricey side, but a good spade will last you the rest of your gardening life.
• Treads on top of the blade give a sturdier and more comfortable foot surface when needing an extra push.
• Hardwood handles are durable and absorb shock and vibration.
• Generally available with long or short handles. Longer handles provide more leverage but are heavier.
• Stainless steel heads are strong and won’t rust.
Our landscape designer, Luke Robertson, recommends the ‘Spear & Jackson’ neverbend digging spade. “A good quality sharp spade is one of the best tools you can have. When I was horticultural apprentice, I was given a brand-new spade which is still in active duty 23 years later.”
7. Leaf Rake
When leaves and debris fall, your sturdy rake is there to whisk them away. Rakes come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, but a great starter is a standard leaf rake.
• Adjustable rakes do the job of more than one tool, reaching into narrow areas or gathering large piles of leaves.
• Steel tines are stronger and may be rougher on delicate lawns than plastic tines.
In our landscape design Christchurch NZ show garden, we use a ‘Cyclone’ Super Rake found here
8. Hoe
Your type of garden will dictate what type of hoe is best for you. For typical garden maintenance and weed control, a sharp torpedo hoe is best; although a veggie garden may require a sturdy, wide hoe.
If you have perennial gardens, a more delicate touch and a thinner hoe may be required. Hoes are useful in preparing garden and flower beds and cutting down weeds.
• Look for a comfortable handle with a long reach.
• A sharp blade works better and is easier to use.
In our landscape design Christchurch NZ show garden, we use a ‘Spear & Jackson’ Torpedo Hoe found here
9. Garden Hose with Adjustable Nozzle
Water is the foundation of your garden’s life and it’s important that your garden hose can reach and spray every area. We highly recommend you purchase a quality hose which is kink and knot resistant as there is nothing more frustrating than a kinked hose. An adjustable nozzle puts you in control of the water pressure and spray radius.
• Estimate the amount of length you will need with your hose before buying one.
• Hose length will affect water pressure – the longer the hose, the lower the resulting pressure.
• Vinyl hoses are lighter weight and less expensive, but kink easier and don’t last as long as rubber construction.
• Store your hoses coiled up and out of direct sunlight. Storing with kinks in them can result in weak spots.
In our landscape design Christchurch NZ show garden, we use the ‘Wetta’ Flex hose:
10. Watering Wand
Give your plants a gentle rain shower with a water-breaking wand. The extended reach is also helpful to get to out-of-the-way containers, hanging plants, or the back edges of borders. Watering wands come in a variety of lengths.
• Choose an appropriate length for your needs – longer for high hanging baskets; shorter for tighter spaces.
• Built-in shut off valves in the handle conserve water and allow you to adjust the flow.
In our landscape design Christchurch NZ show garden, we use the ‘Gardena comfort spray lance’:
Epic News
Do you struggle to imagine what your new landscape will look like?
What are the risks of not having a plan? What are the benefits? Why choose EPIC Landscape Design?
Epic Landscape Design's Luke Robertson was asked his advice on how to landscape a lifestyle block by www.stuff.co.nz. Check out the article here If you need assistance with your lifestyle block on indeed any landscape design project in Christchurch or Canterbury please don't hesitate to contact Luke !
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