By: Veronica Sliva
I’m a garden tool junkie. I probably have one of everything that was ever manufactured. But the truth is, I keep going back to the same ones over and over again. I like tools that are comfortable and easy to use…and difficult for me to lose (I leave things laying around in the garden a lot!). Probably the tools I use the most are diggers and weeders.
Diggers
Long-handle trowel; Big Grip Garden Knife.
There are two kinds of digging: the serious digging and carving out holes for replanting. For serious digging, just about anything will do. I’m not fussy here. I have 3 or 4 shovels and they all work fine. Whatever is nearby -- I grab. However, for making holes to tuck new plants into, I am fussy. I like a long-handle trowel. Mine is about 18 inches long and the trowel part is just like a typical trowel, nothing special. It’s the long handle that makes the difference. You get more leverage and I find it easier to dig on my hands and knees. I’ve had my favourite so long I can’t remember where I bought it and there are no markings on it to indicate who manufactured it. But, they are out there.
I also like to use what is called a Japanese hori knife. It’s a cross between a knife and a trowel, and is useful for transplanting, cutting and removing roots and dividing perennials, etc. Traditionally used in Japan to collect specimens for bonsai (hori means "digging"), the knife has a heavy steel blade, with a serrated edge on one side and a sharpened edge on the other. Sadly, I lost the original years ago. It’s out there buried somewhere in the garden…probably because the handle blended in too well with all the garden debris. Good news though, Fiskars has a similar item called the Big Grip Garden Knife. The orange trim on the handle makes it easy to see in the soil and therefore hard to lose. I never go into the garden without it.
Weeders
Garden Bandit
Next up is the Garden Bandit. A very simple, but brilliant weeding tool that every gardener who's used it just falls in love with instantly. The tool has a semi-circular, thin stainless steel blade attached to a plastic handle (comes in lots of hard-to-lose bright colours) that slices through weeds and breaks up the soil easily. I like it because it’s light and kind of fun to use. Canadian made, you won’t find this one at any of the box stores. Check www.gardenbandit.com for retailers who carry them.
The Weed comb
Last, but not least is an amazing weeding tool that I just discovered. It’s called the Weed comb, but I have nick named it “Jaws” (I often name my tools). Right off the bat I liked the bright yellow on the handle (means I won’t lose it and have it for years), but more importantly, it rips out the weeds easily as you drag it through the soil. I’m finding myself reaching for it more and more often. I like the flat edge for gathering up the extracted weeds and for smoothing the soil. I think it makes a great soil cultivator too. This little known tool is a Canadian invention and not yet available in the big box stores. Check www.weedcomb.com for independent retailers who carry it, or you can buy it online.
Which garden tools can you not live without?
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