The Gardener's Eden. Looks like it’s finally that time of the year: Gardening season! Time to pull out the tools and get to work. Most of my gardening equipment is in pretty good shape, but there are a few repairs and replacements I need to make this year. I can still remember shopping for gardening tools with my father when I was a kid. We bought our tools at the not- so- local hardware store, (this was the 8. I grew up, it was an hour and a half drive, round trip, to the nearest big town). There was considerable grumbling involved. My dad has always been frustrated with the declining quality of tools, and he still complains about the mass- procuced, cheap new “bargains” pushed alongside the fairly- priced , but more expensive, “good- value” tools. A country boy to the core, my father grew up working on farms and in orchards, and he’s always favored hand forged tools with good blades, and rakes, forks and shovels with time- worn wooden handles. He’s never been fooled by flimsy spot- welds and cheap plastic handles. But during the recession years, in an effort to pinch pennies, he bought a few of those tools and he quickly regretted it. When you buy cheap tools, I fast learned, they tend to break, and you soon need to buy replacements. No money saved there. These days I turn my compost pile with an old farm fork I inherited from my father, and I have a few of his other handmade tools in my garden room. My folks live in a condo now, and although they still have a small vegetable garden and modest flower beds, their bigger garden tools have been passed on to the next generation. When I started shopping for my own hand tools, I knew that it would make sense in the long- run to buy the best quality I could afford, and take good care of my investment. As any New Englander will tell you! I started with the basics: Felco bypass- style pruners, and both folding and bow saws for pruning; a digging spade and fork for vegetable and perennial gardening; several good quality rakes in three styles and a basic shovel; a classic New England Cape Cod weeder, and of course the Gardener’s Supply Company garden cart and a good wheelbarrow. There is an article based on my pruning seminar notes you can read here, explaining the kinds of cuts you will make and the types of tools you will need, (there is another on June lilac pruning here). Bypass pruners are the most important tool in my shed. In fact, I usually have a pair in my car and/or pocketbook. Some gardeners use anvil pruners. I dislike them because they pinch- cut instead of clean- cut. So, I recommend the bypass style. Hand weeders are your best friend when you're down on your knees rooting around for those pesky. Weeding Tools; Digging Tools. Now Available in Left-Hand The Cape Cod weeder.the one tool that most gardeners agree. Fiskars Extended Reach Weeder Model 7880 Garden Tool Review and Use. This tool works great and I would recommend it to anyone who has a large weed issue or would just like a much easier way of pulling weeds from. Greer and Austin's waterfront Cape Cod wedding is the perfect balance easy beach wedding and East Coast charm. The special day was captured by Henry + Mac. Cape Cod Email Etiquette for your Wedding. Helpful tips by Emily Post to guide you toward often overlooked manners about sending emails to those who will be attending your wedding. There are more expensive and less expensive pruners, and I have a few other brands, but Felco is still my favorite. For smaller hands, start with the Felco #6, (top link above). For longer or wider hands, go with the #8, (lower link above). For larger trees and shrubs, you will also need a folding, (or Grecian), saw and a bow saw for big limbs. I buy many of my working tools from Gardener’s Supply Company online. This employee- owned store is located here in my home state of Vermont, (to the north, in Burlington), and they ship tools all over the country via orders placed on their website. They carry many of the high- quality brands I know and trust, as well as some excellent products of their own. In fact, their sturdy garden cart has been such a fixture in my life that when I began building my place 8 years ago, a friend told me that she knew she found the right clearing when she saw my little wood wagon in the drive! Oh how I love that cart. I have had it for years and I constantly use it to move heavy perennial divisions, (like big clumps of ornamental grass); to tote bulky items like dog food from the car; and to haul firewood to the back terrace. The removable back makes dumping debris easy and the entire cart tilts back for easy storage. I have never seen a better utility- wagon design. And although I have a variety of poly- bed wheelbarrows for taking with me on jobs, I prefer the two- wheel- barrow design linked below for stability when carting heavy loads of mulch and compost. And good- grief, I so prefer tires that can be filled with a bicycle pump. The other kind – what a pain! The cape cod weeder is a tried and true quality weeding tool and comes right handed or left handed. This is a great weeder tool! Cobra Head Weeding Tool Weeding Tools IN STOCK AND SHIPS NEXT BUSINESS DAY! The Cobra Head weeder and cultivator is the closest thing to a universal. These are the best versions of tools you will need to create and maintain your garden. I won’t lie to you – I have a few cheap shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows that I take with me to work, (where they might get lost or crushed by a dump- truck). But for pruning and work around home – I don’t mess around. I have invested in good tools, and I take good care of them. I will be reviewing more gardening essentials in April and May, and sharing some tool- maintenance tips from the old- time farmers and orchard keepers in my life. I learned a thing or two in college, yes it is true, but when it comes to everyday common- sense, it sure is hard to beat the wisdom of a farmer! Let me know if you have any time- worn favorites of your own. I do love a good garden gadget! De. Wit Cape Cod Weeder, Right- Handed(may be out of stock, if so, try the Amazon link below)De. Wit Dutch Cape Cod Weeder – Right Hand. De. Wit Perennial Planter(for digging and planting on your knees)Spear & Jackson Stainless Steel Digging Spade. Spear & Jackson Stainless Steel Digging Fork (essential for dividing plants and loosening soil)Large Gardener’s Supply Cart, Red (also available in natural color)Poly- Tough Cart***Article and top photo . All rights reserved. Images in this post appear courtesy of Amazon. Gardener’s Supply Company. Do you enjoy visiting The Gardener’s Eden? You can help support this site by shopping through links here. A small percentage of any sale originating from The Gardener’s Eden site will go toward web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you for your support! Hand Weeders – Garden Tool Company. Your cart is empty. It feels desperately alone.
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January 2017
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