8 Must-Have Garden Tools and Their Uses for 2020

Is the spring weather sparking your urge to get out and start your garden? Before you sink your shovel into the dirt, make sure your tool bag is equipped with the essentials. Here are 8 must-have garden tools and their uses for 2020 you shouldn’t be without!

Round digging shovel

A round-headed digging shovel is a perfect tool for planting trees and bushes, as well as transporting loose materials like compost or sand. This type of shovel is essential if you're planting anything more substantial than flowers or small shrubs. A shovel with a D-shaped handle will lend you extra control and stability when digging up hefty plants or loads of dirt. A wide step plate will also ease the stress on your feet while stepping on it repeatedly. 

Garden gloves

For overall maintenance, a pair of snug gloves with good dexterity will help you with everything from pulling weeds to planting flowers. There's a variety of different gloves available on the market, from leather to rubber to cotton, each with different individual strengths and benefits, so your gardening tools checklist should include several pairs. Leather gloves are durable, strong, and great for prickly tasks like trimming thorny bushes. Cotton gloves are light and breathable and will keep your hands clean and blister-free while working. Rubber gloves are great for keeping out moisture. Nitrile gloves are cotton on the top of your hand with rubber on the fingers and palms, giving you a breathable glove with a good grip. You could also buy some handy disposable gloves, which can be thrown away when you're done with them. 

Trowel

When you’re planting, repotting, transplanting, and digging around plants, the trowel is your go-to garden tool. It’s also helpful for spreading small amounts of soil and fertilizer. Look for one that has a comfortable grip. Also, wider blades are better for loosening soil while a narrower blade is helpful for digging around plants and removing weeds.

Garden scissors 

Scissors are a handy yet often overlooked piece of equipment in gardening. They're an extremely versatile tool that can be used for a variety of tasks: trimming small plants, cutting open packets, and more. While you're in the garden, it's in your best interest to have some quality garden scissors at hand. 

Bypass pruning shears

Don’t confuse garden scissors with pruning shears, and all pruning shears are not equal. Scissors are not designed to give the sharp cut that the plant, shrub, or tree limbs require. 

There are 2 types of pruning shears: bypass and anvil. The bypass pruning shears feature 2 sharp, curved blades. The anvil is used for trimming deadwood. It has a sharp top blade and a flat bottom blade (the anvil). The anvil provides resistance against the blade, so the branch is cut with pressure, not cleanly severed, which is why you shouldn’t use it on healthy plants. When choosing your pruning shears, get a size and grip that feels comfortable in your hand. Make sure the locking mechanism is easy for you to operate.

Lightweight trimmer

Avoid awkward reaching while shaping tall plants and hedges by using a lightweight, cord-free trimmer. An electric trimmer is an excellent tool for maintaining your lawns, walkways, shrubs, and bushes. Look for an electric trimmer that features a stretchable handle and comfortable handgrips for the best precision control.

Compact hose

Keeping your garden looking nice and green will demand regular maintenance and lots of water! Great for watering tricky, hard-to-reach places, a coiled plastic hose weighs much less than the usual design and is easy to put away after use. There are also many different kinds of heavy-duty hoses that you can find at your local garden center or home improvement store.

Wheelbarrow

When you're maintaining your garden, you're bound to end up with an abundance of scrap material. That material will have to go somewhere, and a wheelbarrow will make the transportation of it much more manageable. Avoid the headache of making multiple trips by using a good quality wheelbarrow. 

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