Garden Gadgets and Tools

Garden tool sets can be a great gift, or just an easy way to get started gardening on your own. There are a lot of options in considering a tool set, but here are some of the more typical tools that you will want to have in your tool collection.

Garden hand tool kits are a popular gift for the gardener in your life. These tool sets are a good way to get a starter set of tools for your own garden. You can find tool sets that include many varieties of garden tools. Here are some things to look for when buying garden tools.

The number of tools can vary a bit. Some simple starter sets have the bare minimum of three tools, while the high end offering is often a set of more than twelve to fifteen different tools. You'll find the price will vary some with the number of tools, but if you start with a price target it will help you narrow the selection quickly.

Look at the handles of the tools. This is a reasonable good indicator of the workmanship of the tool set being considered. Tools with plastic handles will often be cheaper, and unfortunately the construction of the rest of the tool will sometimes cut corners as well, for example using stamped tines instead of cast. Nothing beats a well tooled wooden handle as it will last a long time and is comfortable to use. Some of the high end tools make use of some conforming foam materials that really help those who use the tools a fair amount but are troubled by joint pains or chronic arthritis.

The tools that come with a garden set vary, but there are a few included in almost all sets. A favorite is the garden trowel. Looking like a smaller version of a shovel, it's one of the more versatile tools in the garden, used to dig up root crops like garlic, or to prepare a bed for transplanting smaller vegetables. Check that this is not made from thin stamped steel, as it will easily bend and break if used under a decent amount of pressure.

A bulb planter looks like a narrow trowel, and is used in much the same way as a trowel, but is used to plant items that are smaller but still need a deep hole like flower bulbs.

A garden fork, sometimes known as a cultivator, has hooked tines on it and is used to work the surface of the soil. Good for cultivating or weeding a smaller area, they are good for preparing a smaller bed area for smaller seeds like carrots and radishes.

Pruners are popular in garden tool sets. Usually they will include a bypass pruner, as these are smaller and handy for making clean cuts on flowers or vegetables like tomatoes or cucumber vines. It is quite handy when these tools are brightly colored in case you set it down temporarily and if like me, you forgot where that was, it is easy to find. Mine is a bright yellow.

A garden tool set will come with a variety of holders. Some include a plastic holder, more of a package, while a great gift idea is to include a holster made from leather that straps on your belt. These cases will sometimes have molded inserts for the tools, and the best cases are made of wood.

Finally, a garden utility cart can be a good gift. They are especially good for the older gardener who has more trouble stooping or carrying tools. Some of these carts come with a seat built into the top of the cart that let's you work in the garden from a sitting position. You will find these carts very handy for chose other than just working in the garden - we do!