Tools & Practices to Make Gardening Easier

Escape to a life filled with beauty, purpose and joy!

And speaking of purpose, one thing we all want to do is make our plant tasks easier. Even people who love to tend their plants and gardens appreciate tools and strategies that lighten the work load and are better for the body. As you take care of your plants and plan for the coming spring, consider these 7 tips for easing your work or saving your time.

1. A light weight, long spout, watering can.

Yes, large cans hold more water, but they are also heavy! A smaller can is lighter to carry and when it has a long spout, it’s easier to get the water directed right into the pot where it’s needed. These cans also come with a “watering can rose” that turns the stream of water into a gentle shower, useful for keeping your pots or flats of seeds moist while they sprout.

2. Sharp pruning tools.

Old, dull or inexpensive pruners and saws make clipping shrubs and trees a chore. I think that the saying that “you get what you pay for” must have originated with pruning tools! A pair of by-pass, Felco hand pruners, a sharp Silky saw, and a by-pass lopper will have your spring pruning done in half the time.

3. Plant thickly and mulch to discourage weeds.

If you want to cut your weeding time down, there are two ways to do it. First is to avoid having bare soil. Any area that is open is an invitation for Mother Nature to plant some weeds. So get there before Nature does, and plant things that will grow thickly and be weed smothering. In shady areas, this includes Epimedium, Geranium macrorrhizum, and low Hostas. In sunny gardens try low types stonecrop Sedum (Sedum album varieties), wooly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus), creeping phlox (Phlox subulata), and threadleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’).

Those shorter plants can be planted around taller perennials, shrubs and trees so that as they fill in no mulching will be needed. In the meantime, applying an inch or two (more is not better) of bark mulch will prevent many weeds from germinating and growing in your garden.

4. The Spear Head Spade makes digging easier.

It isn’t often that a new tool comes to market that I am so excited about, but the Spear Head Spade is just such a product. It makes all digging easier, be it in clay, rocky soils, or ordinary garden loam. It also slices into root systems much more easily, making it the ideal spade for dividing perennials and ornamental grasses. Spear Head Spades come in three sizes, small (as pictured below) for planting annuals or tending containers, medium, and long-handled. I love them all.

5. A garden stool that can be used three ways.

There are times when a gardener wants to sit while deadheading or tending small shrubs. A garden stool is the answer, but these aren’t just for sitting. This tool also turns over to be a kneeling pad, and when in that position the legs become supports for helping the gardener stand up again. This is the ideal tool for people who have trouble getting up from hands-and-knees gardening.

6. A kneeling pad.

Even those who are nimble enough to get up from ground level unassisted can use knee protection. If you’ve ever knelt down on an unseen rock, you have experienced that tending a garden can be painful on the knees! A foam kneeling pad prevents such discomfort, and it can be used in the house, on the driveway or anywhere your joints might appreciate protection.

7. Don’t overdo it. Slow and steady…

Sometimes people think that their garden tending needs to be finished in one day. This is not only hard on the body, but can discourage them from starting a project that seems so large that it’s overwhelming. Remember that every garden task can be done in small amounts. Prune just one shrub, weed just one small area, or spread just one bag of much, then the next day do a bit more.