Toolshed Wisdom

If you’re trying your hand at gardening for the first time, start with inexpensive tools. (See the labels, below, for types of tools you might want to consider.) If you discover gardening is a hobby you’ll pursue, as implements break, replace them with quality ones. Quality tools feature forged-steel tool heads; this means the tools are formed from one continuous piece of steel with few weld marks. Also consider ergonomic tools, which put less strain on joints and transform garden chores into a body-friendly workout. Stainless-steel tools shrug off rust.

‍
Aluminum handles make tools lightweight. Shorter tools with D-shape handles offer handy maneuvering for filling a wheelbarrow or digging in tight quarters.

Tip: Hang It Up

Organize the garden shed or an area of the garage with special places for your gardening gear. Use tool racks, a pegboard with holders, or hooks or nails on an old wooden door, above to hang garden tools and keep items from being damaged or lost.

‍

‍

Garden Planning

This spring get off to a good start by creating a well-thought-out garden plan. Draw a diagram of your garden on graph paper, marking placement of elements that may impact the garden, such as trees or buildings, and labeling rows or hills with the names of plants or seeds to be planted. If you’re a new gardener and you need more space to write planting instructions, use a notepad to refer to when planting. Include information such as planting depth for seeds or plants and recommended spacing between seeds or plants and between plant rows. In a file organizer, below, arrange seed packets by planting dates along with your garden plan, and a calendar noting important dates and garden notes.

‍