What's the saying
- "A poor workman always blames his tools"?
It may be true,
but having the right tool for the right job can, and does, make all
the difference.
Good gardening tools
should, on the whole, last you a lifetime. You might lose the occasional
handfork, trowel or knife, smaller items like these are easily mislaid
( More than once I have found a tool when turning out my compost bins
that must have got thrown in with the rubbish), or wear out your favourite
pruning knife through constant sharpening, but tools like spades,
forks, hoes etc. should outlast you and possibly your children if
looked after properly.(See
Tool Maintenance section.)
There is no such
thing as 'cheap tools' unless you can pick one up second-hand or you
'acquire' it!
It is much better
to buy only the best quality tools. Buying low price, poor quality
tools will cost you more in the long term. Buy your tools with careful
consideration and pay as much as you can afford, adding to your kit
a little at a time. In the first season you can get away with a bare
minimum of garden tools. This lets you save up and purchase further
tools as you need them. It is worth keeping in mind that some tools,hedge
trimmers for instance, might not be used very often. These can easily
be hired when required or even borrowed from a friend.
As a very basic
starting kit of tools I would suggest the following few items:
A good quality
garden fork - you can do most digging jobs with a fork (I use it
more than a spade), a
Rake, a Dutch hoe, A good sharp knife, a bucket and a watering can(even
a cheap plastic one will see you through a couple of seasons).
A guide to the various
tools that you may need and their uses is given in the following pages.
