This is me 8 years ago tending to my very first vegetable garden at our house in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana. I was SO dang proud of this garden and I’ve never come close to being able to reproduce anything like it in the east. Cracks me up that the “hand tool” I’m holding is a kitchen knife (which is actually quite effective for harvesting lettuce.) But this post will focus on the real deal–what I’ve found to be my most essential, non-mechanized garden and landscaping tools to keep on-hand at your upland home. I’m sure I’ll inadvertently miss a few and there are likely some I’ve yet to discover–so I’m hoping to hear from readers and can expand this list.
Digging Tools
Unless you live in a temperate climate with sandy soil, you’ll likely need a small arsenal of digging tools on-hand. These are my 6 must-haves and these particular models all come highly recommended. (I did the research for you since some of my shovels are now older than my children.) As a strong but older woman who shares a lot of the yard work, I steer away from tools I find too heavy to work with, so these models are all appropriate for someone like me. My son could handle a transfer shovel with a wider and deeper blade, for example, but once loaded with mulch, gravel, etc. it is simply too heavy for me to maneuver.
- Digging Bars: Necessary to break through rocky of compacted soil. Heavy as heck, but once you get the hang of using one, you’ll be grateful for it.
- Digging Shovel
- Snow Shovel
- Edging Spade: For keeping landscape lines crisp and driveway edges tidy
- Transfer Shovel: If you’ve ever tried using a Digging Shovel to load mulch, gravel, sand, etc. you know why you need a Transfer Shovel.
- Hand Trowel: Or garden trowl. These are particularly handy for container gardening.
Other Landscaping Tools
- Hand Cultivator: This is the most coveted tool I own. Period. And I’m always a little afraid it will put me in the hospital. It is absolutely invaluable when putting your gardens to bed for winter, and on the flip, waking them in the spring.
- Leaf Rake
- Pitch Fork: My daughter discovered this is an excellent tool for loading mulch onto a truck bed. Compared to using a shovel? I can actually load twice as much in half the time.
- Rock Rake: We have a river gravel driveway, and use these for upkeep. They are also good for spreading mulch and dirt.
- Shrub Rake: I love these little guys for clearing out leaves between groupings of shrubs, such as our boxwood hedges. And I choose poly tines over steel because I find them to be more gentle.
Pruning and Weeding Tools
Pruning tools are a must and they range from surprisingly expensive to modestly priced. Maintenance is critical and keeping your sheers and loppers clean, lubricated, and sharpened is the key to longevity.
- Clippings Bag: A lightweight, reusable bag that is easily cleaned with a hose makes quick work of collecting and dragging weeds and clippings to the compost pile or into the woods.
- Loppers: Two-handed pruners for thicker branches.
- Pole Loppers: For vines and high branches.
- Sheers: For clipping smaller branches.
- Garden Gloves: I prefer slim-fitting gloves for working with most flowers because they allow for more precision. And they are available in longer versions which is nice if poison ivy is your bumper crop.
- Work Gloves: These should be heavy duty to protect your hands while working with rocks, wood, etc. I write my name on them with a Sharpie and exact retribution on any family member seen wearing them without prior authorization.
