Every year, new ergonomic tools and innovative items fill the shelves of local stores. Though you can find just about anything for the gardening enthusiast, we came up with a list of the six must-have items.
If you haven’t acquired a hula hoe, you don’t know what you are missing. Hula hoes come in handheld and stand-up sizes and are made out of a variety of materials. We suggest one that has a metal pole so you don’t get splinters when the wood begins to weather. Use your new hula hoe to easily remove pesky weeds in your garden by sliding the blade across the soil and digging out seedlings.
Along with your hula hoe, you must have an expandable mini rake. These rakes collapse down so you can get close to bedding plants and perennials without damaging them. And for those hard-to-reach places, you can expand the rake to any length you need. Once the leaves start to fall, you will be happy you purchased your mini rake.
A foldable garden kneeler is a wonderful ergonomic item to assist you in your garden. The padded kneeler can morph into a seat to help you in numerous gardening tasks. For both kneeling and sitting, kneelers have handles to help you up and down. Many models also have tool pouches attached where you can put your garden tools.
All gardeners need garden Velcro tape handy. This tape works perfectly for securing tomato plants to cages, training and bundling vining plants like grapes and cucumbers and training and securing climbing roses to trellises. The tape wraps on itself, so you won’t damage the delicate tissue on plant stems and leaves. Also, you can reuse it for years to come. It usually comes in green so it won’t stand out in your garden like a sore thumb!
There are multi-function tools for camping, hiking and just about every area of life, but did you know you can get garden multi-function tools? These great tools usually come with pruners, a mini saw, different types of weeding tools and a knife. Many come with a holster pouch to slip on your belt, so you can easily carry it with you. You can do just about everything you need with these tools, including pruning, dividing plants, uprooting weeds and digging.
The last item you need is a five-gallon garden bucket. You can purchase it already made or do it yourself. I’ve see garden buckets with canvas caddies around the outside for tool storage, padded seats on the top for sitting and handles for easy carrying. You can use your garden bucket to collect weeds and clippings from pruning or deadheading, and to carry tools and other gardening supplies easily around your garden. They are multi-functional and convenient for any type of work you are doing in your garden.
As you are visiting local nurseries this spring, don’t forget to check out new tools and gadgets for your garden.
