Get the right tools for the job

If you are considering a new hobby that will keep you engaged and involved, gardening is definitely it. Watching new life bud and blossom under the expert guidance of your hands can prove to be a powerfully uplifting experience!

If gardening interests you, remember that the right tools can make your job easy and fun. Most beginners veer between two extremes: they either enthusiastically invest in expensive tools that they are not experienced to handle, or opt for cheap ones that do a poor job. Ideally, you should buy mid-priced tools and upgrade as you go along.

Here is a list of useful and essential garden tools that can help you achieve and maintain an interesting hobby:

Gardening gloves : Protect your hands from blisters with the right pair of gardening gloves. Cotton gloves are all you'll require for light gardening. If however, you're likely to get your hands wet, opt for latex ones. Gardeners working with thorny plants should invest in a pair of sturdy leather gloves.

Gardening hat: Stay cool and ward off potential sun burn with a good wide-brimmed hat. A gardening hat can also protect your skin from tanning and insects.

Garden kneelers: Knee protection gear like a pair of knee pads or a kneeling mat can save your knees from the stress of having to kneel during digging, weeding or harvesting.

Spade and/or shovel: Shovels are essential to dig new ground and distribute compost on old ground, while spades are crucial for planting and weeding. Though you will not need them on a daily basis, they are indispensable for garden maintenance.

Trowel: This is one gardening tool that can assist with many tasks, including weeding, aerating delicate plants without damaging them, moving soil around the garden, and even making holes for putting your plants in.

Garden rake: Unlike a leaf rake, garden rakes come with strong, short steel teeth and help maintain a weed-free garden. A handy piece of equipment, it also smoothes and levels out the soil, besides loosening soil between the rows and encouraging good air circulation.

Pruners or pruning shears : Contrary to popular belief, pruning is not just about keeping plants tidy. Even if you don’t believe in 'tame' gardens, trimming and pruning are necessary to remove old foliage and promote fresh growth. Choose an ergonomically designed pruner that feels comfortable in your hand and helps you make clean, easy cuts.

Garden hose: A garden hose is an essential tool in a gardener's repertoire. You'll want a durable hose not just for watering and washing individual plants, but also for washing off loose soil lying on paved garden paths and keeping the rest of your equipment clean.  

These are only a few of the basic tools; there are wide ranges of other tools and equipment available that can make your gardening a pleasurable and satisfying hobby.