My hand mattock is a tool I could not live without in our hard clay, rocky soil here. My other favorite is a curved tile knife which I use to cut and divide perennial root clumps. I have arthritis in my hands and also think a rachet pruners fits the bill.

In no particular order:
1. Felco #2 hand pruners. Trust me. Don't even bother with other brands. I went through many over the years until I got my Felco for Christmas a couple of years ago.
2. Buckets. I carry them around to discard of cuttings when I deadhead, clean up, etc. I use discarded kitty litter buckets.
3. Dandelion weeder. Basically a forked tool that lets you get under any type of weed that grows in a basal rosette form, including dandelions.
4. Loppers.
5. Pruning saw.
6. Wheelbarrow. I'm like the plastic wheelbarrows. I find the steel ones a little too heavy for me.
7. Perennial shovel. I have a smaller shovel designed for perennial gardening by Lady Gardener. Just the right proportions.
8. Hand spade.
9. Hoe.
10. Regular shovel.
11. Mattock.
12. Axe.
13. Pruners on a stick. Don't know what the proper term for this tool is, but it has a pruning saw and a bypass pruner on a long telescoping pole. Good for pruning high branches.

Thanks so much for all the good ideas-

Um, what is a mattock?

I went out and bought a good digging fork and a rake to clear out some of the stuff in our wooded area last night. I am going to print out the lists that everyone has sent and make a "To get" list from it - my hubby will be so THRILLED! Well, at least he knew what he was getting into when he married me!

A mattock is like a huge heavy axe. (not as sharp) which is great for breaking up soil and getting out roots and stumps. -Ais.

Here is a link that might be useful: mattock

Well it looks like every tool under the sun has been listed, except for the Garden Claw. It's available at Walmart and even though its a little expensive, it really makes working up the dirt a breeze. But to me the most important tool to have is a good pair of gloves. Not only do they save your hands from blistering, they also protect from fireants, poison ivy you may not see, and from making your skin feel like sandpaper.

I don't think anyone has listed one very important item.

Not necessarily a tool but something every gardner should use religiously.

A hat.

Not a ball cap, but a hat with a brim for protection from the sun.

I just recently started wearing one when I'm outside for any length of time. I've spent most of my life working outside and have just recently come to realize the importance of protection from the sun.

Get a big old goofy hat and learn to love it! Please.

Rip

Actually, Cribscreek, the Garden Claw has a first cousin (same manufacturer, I think), called the Garden Weasel, which is also available at the same places...

When I FIRST bought it, what I really needed was a tiller, so I was a bit disappointed. Now having the Mantis-like tiller (after my Mantis was stolen, I bought a BCS, which is the same except the tines are different, and I think better), I've found the Garden Weasel INVALUABLE for when you just need to loosen up large volumes of soil on the surface or around plants without digging the soil up to the point that rain will cause run-off...

I used the Garden Weasel this year to loosen the soil on my bank prior to adding gypsum to improve the clay, and then worked it in a bit with the same Garden Weasel. I also used it to loosen the top inch or so of soil around shrubs, trees and perennials prior to putting down slow-release fertilizer, then added the fertilizer and went back with it to gently work the fertilizer into that top inch or so of soil, so it doesn't wash off... So after NOT using it much the first few years, it's now really paying off.

It's just $20 and available at pretty much all of the Big Box stores (by the way I also concur with all the suggestions above, except that claw looks like too much work for the space, to me -- I'd use the Mantis-type tiller for that, lol).

Here's a link to Home Depot's online listing for the Garden Weasel, so you'll know what I'm talking about.

Happy Gardening!
Jeff

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Weasel

That direct link DIDN'T WORK!

When you get to the Home Depot page, just type in the words "Garden Weasel" in the little search box on the upper right-hand corner and click "go" or "Search" or whatever it says to the right of that and it will bring it up.

Sorry!
Jeff

A must have is:-

A good insect book to identify all those bugs, good and bad.

Suggest "The Organic Gardeners Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control"

Pump up sprayer.

Tarp and Rake, to collect leaves for composting.

Good Garden Fork - I dont till, everything is by hand so a good one is important to me.

Sharp knife, I like the ones with gadgets on them like the Swiss Army Knives, keep one in my pocket all the time.

Bottle of bleach, to wash tools off with 10% bleach solution to avoid transferring diseases.

Lots of old work clothes, trip to the thrift shop.

Do without:-

Cheap tools from China and Taiwan, will be used once only before breaking.

A hand mattock is about 18" long and has a horizontal axe blade to dig through the dirt on one end and a 3 prong end on the other. It is like using a hammer and when a shovel won't work,it works great! I like with mine next to me on my garden cart.

A good drain tile spade - the kind with the long, narrow blade. If you can get one with a fiberglass handle, they don't break nearly as easily as one with a hickory or ash handle.
GOOD bypass lopping shears; and, if you're going to be cutting anything larger than about 1" in diameter a pair of the big Forester loppers is essential
I probably use my 'King of Spades' tree-digging/planting shovel, with a 50-something inch aircraft alloy handle more than anything else. You can really 'rear back' on it, without worrying about breaking the handle or the blade.
Linked below is a good source for lots of this stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: Forestry Suppliers, Inc.

My most favorite tools are my hoe-matic (be nice Jeff...lol) which is a 3 prong digger on one side and a flat blade on the other. And I wouldn't go out in my gardens without my small shovel. About half the size of a regular shovel but a lot easier to use between existing plants. It came with a short handle but the SO changed it out to a longer one since I'm so tall. And on top of it I found both of these at Big Lots! They do have some chinzy stuff but also carry the tuff stuff at half the price of the big box stores. I'm like Trina...keep losing those pruners so I hesitate to buy a really good pair. They need to design a pruner with a paging devise (you know the kind they have on remote phone bases) so if you lose them...you can find them by the beep...lol. GPS system maybe??.....LOL
Evelyn

Oh, I forgot about my Black and Decker Navigator. It is a little electric saw that is ideal for cutting limbs that are too big for the pruners and too small for a chain saw. Not that I could use a chain saw without cutting off one of my limbs, so the Navigator is great. Trina

"They need to design a pruner with a paging devise (you know the kind they have on remote phone bases) so if you lose them...you can find them by the beep...lol. GPS system maybe??.....LOL
Evelyn"

Hmmmmm, new Acronym for GPS? "Get Pruning Shears???"

Just a thought :)
Jeff

we have the garden claw and love it. I don't know what I would do without it except a lot more work!!!

I second the hand mattock. It's such an all purpose tool..planting, surface weeding, pulling out pinestraw, mixing in ammendments...super tool. I don't leave the garage without it.

Pam

Well, once I had gotten deeply into the throes of rheum. arthritis, I figured this one out: bury something really rotten and smelly where you want a hole dug for your next shrub. Call the dog. Make sure he's got some terrier in him, and he'll dig til he disappears. You then have a nice hole to plant in. Hose the dog down.

Other than that, I love my $4 short handled mattock I got at WalMart some years ago. It digs in this clay, the pronged end is fantastic for pounding in under big rocks (I use my rubber mallet to pound), then you just pry those rocks right out, and use the rocks somewhere else. Being arthritic, I also use the mattock to extend my arm in order to reach other tools nearby, so I don't have to get up.

I use mostly all of the above listed. But would like to add....

Foam kneeling cushion-for my knees!!

Box of disposable latex gloves-Purchase at Sams Club for weeding and potting.

White vinegar-to cut poison ivy oil and deter mosquitoes.

And for a big.... but worthwhile investment... Troy Built Leaf Vacume. This tool (looks like a lawn mower) Vacumes and mulches the leaves 15 to 1. The vacume let us reuse all of the leaves that came down in the fall. Instead of disposing of the leaf mulch we used it to enrich the landscape by spreading it through all of the beds. The yard seems so much healthier now!
Happy Toy..I mean Tool...buying!.......Dianne

Dianne, I can't BELIEVE I left out the foam kneeling cushions... I have four of the regular-sized ones, PLUS I got a whole package of those interlocking ones from Sam's Club that are made for covering floors to make them softer, and when I have a long area to weed on my knees or something, I lay them out side by side.

Even then, though, getting back UP ain't too easy, so I try to do as much as I can without kneeling, but it just CAN'T all be done that way.

Happy Gardening!
Jeff

Most of my favorites (especially the serrated knife and reciprocating saw) have been mentioned but I would like to add my newest "can't do without" which is a stainless steel spade. It has a fairly narrow blade and the handle is just a bit longer than usual. I found it at George Parks seed Co. and I hope they still carry them because the next time I get to Greenwood I have to buy another. My husband & I fight over who gets this one and in the interest of domestic harmony...............

Now that we're talking tools - my friend raves about her circle hoe. Has anybody else tried one?

I like the shuffle hoe for weeding close to plants. I've been looking at a Japanese Digging Tool aka Hori-Hori knife. I've heard some raves about it for use in the garden. Anyone familiar with them?

hands down, my really expensive, really light, indestructible smart cart wheelbarrow. i can move my bi-annual mulch pile in 1/3 the time. it moves so effortlessly that i shovel the mulch and the kids wheel it to the area and dump. (maybe that's part of why it gets moved so quickly?) my neighbors always come and borrow it. and because the pans snap out, i can fit it in my subaru. or on top.

it took a lot of rationalizing to buy such an expensive wheebarrow, and pay that amount of shipping (the shipping alone would buy a cheaper wheelbarrow), but my 70 pound daughter uses these at her stables to cart around massive bales of hay and swore it was easy. and then, as she began showing we began to notice most of the stables we went to used them. so that's what convinced me.

and now, it is hands down my favorite gardening tool.

Here is a link that might be useful: comparison chart of high end wheelbarrows

For transplanting large, robust items, like this pampas clump....
{{gwi:581113}}
Wm

I agree with all the nifty gadgets mentioned, with the addition of a "Pilot Silver Marker, Extra Fine Point". This is some sort of weird hybrid between a Sharpie and a paint pen. It never clogs. It has a fine tip for small lettering. It shows up well on black pots and white pots. It NEVER fades or chips off. It is the only thing I will ever use for labeling. (And the gold is not as good as the silver one.)

Thanks for sharing that Brenda. I have wondered what it was that you were using because it really does a nice job. Where did you find it?

Shari, you'd think Michael's would have it, but they don't, and silver paint pens aren't even close. I get them from "http://www.villagesupplies.net/pilot_metallic_markers.htm";, for about $3. One lasts forever. I have only ever owned two, and both are still working. (I do wipe the spot on the pot first, so excess dirt is removed.) eBay has them for ~$2. I get those white plastic pot stake labels and tiny seed ziplocs on eBay too, for next to nothing. (eBay addict as well here, but not as severe as plant addiction - except when buying plants on eBay)

willf
that is my kind of transplanting shovel :)

Brenda, I'm going to get a couple of those pens. The permanent Sharpies are useless. Pencil had been the most permanent thing for me so far.

Rip, the swan necked hoe sounds like something I need!

Mosquito wipes
Felcos
Loppers
Shovels, various shapes and sizes
small hand hoe and rake
5 gallon buckets
Hat
etc. etc.

Root digger,
The hori-hori knife seemed so ninja-fabulous to me when I ordered it, but a serated kitchen knife ended up as my favorite. The hori-hori(ble-haha) knife rusted pretty quickly, too.

Still in the asian vein, though, I love my Korean hand hoe. Is this the same as a goose-neck hoe? Mine is just a great angle for choppy the heck out of the soil for mass plantings of annuals or bulbs, and is great for weeding. I need to paint the handle bright pink or orange, though, because the squirrels keep dragging it away.lol.
-Amy in Sanford (hey adele and claire)

Thanks for the pen link Brenda.

I too love my garden weasle/claw, and a pair of great gloves is ESSENTIAL.
Does anyone have suggestions on a durable pair of gloves?? Mine keep wearing out at the finger tips.

Instead of a cheap foam kneeler cushion, I've switched to a garden kneeler seat. It is AWSOME. I've provided a link so that you can see a picture... but buy it a Lowes/Home Depot... they sell them for $20. The great thing about the kneeler/seat is that when you are using it as a kneeler, the "legs" stick up in the air, and you can use them to help you get up!! It takes a lot of the work away from your legs, and I find that I have a lot fewer muscle aches when I use it.
Happy gardening everyone!

Here is a link that might be useful: garden kneeler

i don't garden without my gloves. my favorite gloves are the nylon woven ones dipped in nirile (i think- it's not rubber and they aren't cotton). they look like mud gloves but are lighter, and are very strong. lowe's, h/d & target all carry them cheaper than the name brand ones. the finger tips do wear out quickly though- but only on my thumb & forefinger on my right hand. so i took and old pair & cut off about 1 1/2" of good tip, and stuffed them in the split finger tips(before they got too bad). viola! worked for a good 6 mos. by then all the other tips were splitting, and i scrapped those gloves. it does make those tips a little thicker & less sensitive, but it works surprisingly well, and the tips don't collapse, fall out or stick to your finger when you take them off. i also keep a seude pair handy for thorny jobs- the thorns go right through the others.

no, i don't believe a swan hoe is the same thing as a korean hoe. i love my ho-mi (korean hand hoe). i have the same problem amy does though, but i can't blame it on the squirrels! it's such a natural color, i tend to leave it lying around & lose it. i really need to paint the handle red. i can't tell you how many times it's been lost over the yrs. my tip for them? grind the edges sharp when you get it. it slices right through the soil, it furrows great, and turned on it's side makes a great smoother or weeder. as you use it, they'll stay pretty sharp once done. my favorite tool for plant digs, and planting in my garden at home. the only problem is it doesn't cut straight down- i use a trowel or dibble for that.

i also don't go in the garden w/o my hat. i burn, and i pay too much to make my hair red to have it go blonde again in an afternoon. :) i love the paper (yes, paper) wide brimmed ones sold in target each spring. they look like straw, but are soft and pliable; not at all scratchy. as long as you don't get them really wet, they hold up great- my favorite's been going strong for nigh on 7 yrs. it helps that i'm like a cat and go inside when it rains, i suppose, but it has been very wet before, and as long as you don't poke or push it too much til it dries it's fine. i don't use sunscreen because i can't stand to be in the sun for long; i get physically sick. so, i just garden in the shade- planning my activities around it.

brenda thanks for the marker tip- i wondered what you'd been using. i like the paint pens that are sold in walmart & michael's. my only gripe is they don't come with a fine enough point. they don't fade, and i haven't had problems with mine chipping so far. i'll have to ck into the one you use, though.

some of my other must haves? a tough trowel, a couple pairs of corona pruners-cheap enough if i lose them i don't panic, but good quality- a small folding saw, wire snips, needle nose pliers, and a dibble, all of which are kept in a big white gift basket i carry around with me that also has 3 plastic mugs with lime, espoma garden tone, and bone meal respectively in them tucked in the bottom. plus some labels, pens, twisties, twine, wire & other little helpers and the above mentioned gloves and ho-mi. it's always packed & ready to go. around the yard i also use a small shovel- kid's or lady's size, a small dividing fork (which i use for most of my digging), a 6 or more tine pitchfork for compost & the like, a hard/potato rake, an adjustable folding rake, a couple of those all purpose plastic tubs with rope handles or a tarp or two (use lots more than the wheelbarrow). i have never found a hoe i like, so i tend to use the ho-mi by hand or the hard rake and chop. have wanted to try a swan hoe, but don't wanna spend the $. i don't garden linearly, so a hoe is tough anyhow. you can get a long handled ho-mi and i'll bet they'd work well. so, that's my essentials list. it sounds like everything but the kitchen sink, but really all fits in one med sized basket and change. i use all of them regularly.

we have loppers, long handled loppers/saw, big shovels, pickaxe, chainsaw, wheelbarrow, honda tiller and weedwhacker that come in handy, but get used a lot less than the above mentioned. i still wouldn't want to do without them, though.

i'd love to try one of those tractor seat/rocker looking things, but haven't convinced myself to cough up the 40-50 bucks for it yet. my knees & veins kill me when i squat or kneel too much, so i think i'm going to have to get something. i've tried the foam things but they just irritate me- i move too much. and i didn't like the knee pads, either. has anyone tried a rocker and was it worth the dough?
tam

I have several indispensable implements. Most useful is a hand trowel from Kmart, Martha Stewart one piece cast aluminum or something. Light, comfortable padded handle and after 5 years of use still going strong. Always in my back pocket whenever I go outside.

Next the kneepads. Plastic shell, padded inside with two Velcro straps on each one. If nothing else they prevent mud caked knees!

The big one is the surf fishing cart. Rather large, aluminum-tubing beast with pneumatic tires meant for going over soft beach sand. You can fit a ton of stuff in it and there are fishing rod holders around the outside great for a shovel, rake, hoe or any other long handled tool. Usually comes out a couple times in the spring when putting in annuals. You can fit a number of flats in the bottom and with a piece of plywood or boards on top you have two-layer capacity. Mine does get used for surf fishing also so it does not sit idle all the time.

Something I use but only at vegetable seed planting time is a nylon mesh pouch. Straps on around the waist, has one large pocket and two smaller pockets. Great for holding my Martha Stewart shovel, seed packets and notepad/pencil. Very handy as my tool and all the seeds are with me, no need to drag something around.

I use the notepad for making a plot of the garden and note where/when I plant different things. Being single, I make several smaller plantings every week or two of things so I have an extended harvest. Ever have all your pole beans come in at once! Too much of a good thing. I then transfer the notes to my journal that has a larger detailed planting diagram and daily notes. No, not a lot of work and it really helps me remember when I last planted a patch of radishes, carrots or peas and when it will be time for another.

May all your bugs be beneficial. - Woody

My favorite tool is my long-reach pruner. It's not the pole and pully kind, this one is very lightweight, telescopes, and you just squeeze the gripper with one hand to cut, from 5 to up to 10 feet up. It doesnt do thick branches, but it's great for all my trees with small branches like oleanders, bottle-brush or eugenias. (I hate climbing ladders) Also good for cutting oranges off tall branches of orange trees, as it holds onto the branch (and the orange) after you cut it. I've never seen anything like it in stores. Got mine from a Canadian website, Rittenhouse.

1) Felcos
2) Atlas Gloves - the glove that made me actually want to wear gloves
3) Rabbit Spade, angled and narrow. Perfect for digging and dividing perennials

Great tip on the pen Brenda. Thank you!

violet, thanks for resurrecting this old but valuable thread.

OK, I've been a "lurker" for a couple of years. I love this site and have learned so much that it's time for me to offer my own advice:

I too recommend good gloves, Felco pruners (I own a small size, which are easier on my hands), a garden fork, and a hand-fork. I also occasionally use a hand hoe (left-handed version, but my husband will use it too). I really like having a child's rake for cleaning out around my perennials.

I'll weigh in on the debate over the Japanese digging tool: I have my second. My first was so wonderful that I used it more than a trowel or even my hand fork, and I certainly didn't bother with a dandelion weeder. But then I lost it (I should have painted the handle, alas). So, I bought another. The second one doesn't have the balance of the first. I sorely miss the first and have gone back to my hand fork as tool of choice.

This just goes to show that oftentimes the right tool is the one that finds you. Take all the advice above and then listen to what your hands tell you.

Sometimes cheap is just fine, but other times you just have to spend more (like for Felco pruners). I bought both my Japanese digging tools at the local Smith and Hawken. I can't remember where I found my hand fork, but it has a nice wooden handle and fits my hand very comfortably.

Thanks Brenda, I'm out in CA visiting my daughter who is about to become a Mommy. I checked out the bookstore at UCDavis and they had the pen, so I bought three. They were $2.98 and I can hardly wait to get home to use them. Nancy

I have a couple of new tools to buy after reading these post.
#1 - Gloves (Lowes)
#2 - hat...I've learned the hard way on this one. (Target)
#3 - Swiss Army Knife (Ebay)
#4 - knee pad ($1 at Target)
#5 - My new favorite is the dump cart. It's a cross between a wagon and a wheel barrow. (Homedepot or was it lowes)

Besides the standard tools, I find the following my favorites:
Ratchet Pruners - pump the handles to cut up to 2" pieces. They are so much easier for me to use.

Retractable rake- I can adjust the length to suit the job. It has a narrow head so it fits in tight spots. And I use it has a cane in the garden.

Hard shell knee pads - no one told me I wouldn't be able to kneel on my new knees!

Garden seat - I tire easily so I keep this in my arsenal of tools for a handicapped gardener. It could be turned over and used as a kneeler for a healthy person.

Bone Meal - is always in my bag since I use it for almost all plantings.

Plastic Toboggans - normally used by kids in the snow. I use mine to haul plants to a place and haul weeds back. I do wash them with a spot of bleach now and then.

In this order:
1) Playtex Gloves - size small - I don't like regular gardening gloves....they don't last long in my garden and most are too big for my hands. The Playtex gloves last forever and fit great. And best of all, they don't leak or allow water/dirt/chemicals into the top of the glove.

2.) Garden Scissors - great for small pruning jobs in difficult or tight spots and clipping grass around the edges of your beds.

3.) 5 Gallon Plastic Bucket - got it at WalMart a few years ago and use it to tote around my gardening essentials for the day...what goes in it can change from day to day.

4.) Hand Cultivator - has a variety of uses, not just the one it was intended for. I use it instead of a trowel to do my planting.

5.) Our beat up, much-abused rusty old wheelbarrow. I'm always tossing something in it.

RENEE

Love the plastic toboggan idea and it's easy to store (or use for its intended purpose in winter).

Two plastic buckets containing duplicate set of general diggers, pruners, misc. tools etc - one lives in the garage for instant access to the front yard, the other in the back yard storage box for instant access in the backyard. I'm a lazy gardener and need tools nearby or I'll find an excuse not to do what needs to be done!

Waterproof (but not mouseproof as I found out the hard way) plastic storage box/bench located in the side 'work' yard. Great for containing clutter and a good work surface for re-potting plants and brushing the pup!

A 'pop-up' Fiskar trash barrel (lots of copycats available now) - it is lightweight to move around when pruning, trimming, weeding and stores compactly when not in use. I line it w/a large trash bag and secure the top overhang edges w/spring clothespins so the bag doesn't get pushed down in.

Garden Claw - makes short work of loosening soil to plant in and efficiently breaks away wide roots when digging up to transplant.

Bulb planter - works great when setting out dozens of annual seedlings.

Nitril gloves - the best I've ever encountered.

The bench type kneeler cited earlier in this thread - very versatile - and a large foam kneeler/pad which was marketed in Bed, Bath & Beyond and both a garden kneeler and a child's flotation pool toy! Putting conventional things to use in unconventional ways (like the plastic toboggan also cited above) really works!

I got a Weed Hound this year on the recommendation of some other Georgia gardeners. It works well. It took me less than an hour to weed a bed that would normally take half a day. The thing is addictive, so be warned that you will start looking for weeds to pull.

This is a great thread!

>>Oh, I forgot about my Black and Decker Navigator. It is a little electric saw that is ideal for cutting limbs that are too big for the pruners and too small for a chain saw. Not that I could use a chain saw without cutting off one of my limbs, so the Navigator is great. Trina

I need to know more about this tool. What is the largest limb this tool could cut? I thought we would have to get a chain saw, but they scare me. One thing we have to cut is part of a river birch that is obstructing a sign, so it is one of the trunks - pretty large.

1) If you are going to start doing beds and digging holes for trees, DEFINATELY a pick/mattock combo....large size at least and handsize too if you can get both. You can not dig a plant hole in NC clay with a shovel alone, it will kill you. My uncle bought my folks one as a housewarming gift when they bought their first home, Mom first thought it was a weird gift but later said she blessed his name every time they dug a hole..the best housewarming gift she ever got.
2) Felco #6 (for small hands) and a felco pocket sharpener. I sharpen every time I start working.
3) Kitty litter bucket and dandelion weeder.
4) Variety of gloves..cloth, leather, and coated mudgloves.
I use just about all these things every week.

MY HANDY DANDY SWISS ARMY KNIFE/TOOL. I TAKE IT WITH ME ALL OVER THE YARD. IT IS VERY HANDY....

Achey knees had me looking for a tool that would dig a hole, like a bulb planter but with a longer handle and a step on surface.
At Tuesday Morning store I found a Fiskars tool just what I wanted with a handle and lever that opens the bottom to release the soil you just dug.
Now, it's only good if the soil is good garden soil and not primarily clay and it helps the plant you're installing if you fork the soil to just loosen the area you're planting. Otherwise, digging holes with this kind of tool tends to compact the sides of the hole. Forking first allows the plant roots to go out sideways easier.
Anyhoo, I'm just loving this tool. Easier in the long run on my knees and hands/wrists than using a trowel.
It's become my favorite tool for the planting time of year.