Looking to start gardening? Here are some great gardening tools that will help you get on your way! Gardening is a great hobby for anyone at any age. I didn’t start until I was 35!
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How I Started Gardening
My first gardening experience was planting daffodil bulbs and I was not sure if they’d come up or not, but they did!! I was so excited to see them bloom! I also planted some pumpkin seeds that did start to get the big leaves but never produced pumpkins. In hindsight I didn’t move them when I was supposed to and apparently that was essential. This year I’m just going to plant them further apart and hopefully that’ll work. I did plant a coneflower last year that I see is coming up again this year, which is fun! I bought a couple of four packs of flowers this year that I planted as well. It’s been fun to see them bloom, though I did catch my bunny friend snacking on them the other day!
I never liked gardening in the past, partially because I was never a fan of being outside, but with having 3 boys, I spend A LOT of time outside when it’s nice out, so it’s good to keep myself busy. It feels good to see the fruits of my labor, and even pulling weeds is rewarding to see them disappear, for a while at least.
Since then, I have started vegetable gardening!! Here in Minnesota though it’s Spring there is still a lot of snow on the ground, up to 6-foot drifts in some areas at the end of March! I’ve started seedlings inside and am excited to bring them outside when they’re ready, and it’s warm enough!
Brand of Gardening Tools
I highly recommend Fiskars gardening products. They are well made and have a wonderful LIFETIME warranty! I had a handle that broke off of one of my plastic tools as I was digging a deep hole, and they sent me a new one without hassle. Even with the replacement tool, I now prefer the metal tools as shown below.
The stainless steel metal tools are SO durable and comfortable to use with the large padded grip on each tool.
I’ve found that having the right tools makes all the difference when it comes to gardening, just like anything else. Whether you’re working in a kitchen garden, working in small spaces outdoors, digging small holes, or deep holes, these tools are ones I keep coming back to for all of the above!
Gardening Scratch Tool Set
I use the three tools below the most and they are very high-quality garden tools. I love that the spade has measuring marks on it so I know how deep I’ve dug since different plants and seeds need different depths. This tool set includes a hand shovel, hand rake, and spade. They are great for weeding, planting, and gardening in general.
Pruning Shears
Fiskars Pruning Shears are great for indoor and outdoor use. These are the best pruning shears
I’ve used, and I use them indoors to trim fresh flowers when they need to be trimmed while in water. These hand pruners are much sharper than regular scissors, so they provide a cleaner cut, which helps the flowers live longer. I also use them indoors to trim plants in my Aerogardens and outdoors to trim back plants and flowers when they’re done blooming. These hand pruners work really well for the thick shoots of some of the plants around our home.
Big Grip Weeder
The Big Grip Weeder is SO handy for weeding lawn weeds. I was trying to think of what other gardening tools I love so I asked my husband, and he told me this was one of his favorites! It’s able to get down to the root of the weed easier than most tools, to pull the whole thing out! It’s the best tool for effective organic weed control.
Garden Hori Knife with Sheath
The Garden Hori Knife with Sheath is great for pulling weeds if you don’t have the tool above, for planting, splitting plants, transplanting, and more! The measurements help you know how deep the hole is that you’re digging before you plant. It’s an essential tool with multiple uses.
Big Grip Transplanter
This transplanter is great for digging, transplanting, and scooping new soil. It is great for beginner gardeners with a small garden, all the way up to pros with large gardens! You can use this indoors if you’re transplanting baby plants started indoors to your garden outdoors, and more.
Gardening Gloves
These gardening gloves are amazing! They are breathable yet durable. They’re coated in rubber, so you’re protected from prickly things like thistles, yet breathable on top, which is ideal so your hands don’t get all sweaty! I use these every time I’m working in my garden.
30-Gal Collapsible Bag
The 30-Gallon Collapsible Bag stands up tall when in use and collapses down to 3″ for storage. This is great to take with you wherever you’re pulling weeds, collecting leaves, or pruning.
Garden Tool Organizer
Having gardening tools is great but having someplace to store and organize it is even better! Ok, at least to me, I love organizing. I’ve found that having an organizer that fits over a 5-Gallon bucket is ideal. Then it’s sturdy, I can fit a lot in it, and easily take it with me where I need it around the yard. There are different sizes of pockets to fit different tools, while all keeping them easily at-hand for when needed.
For this one I recommend the Fiskars brand if you’re looking for an inexpensive option. I have this one and love it. It holds all of my gardening tools and so much more.
Note: this only includes the canvas bucket organizer, you’ll need to supply the 5-Gallon pail and tools.
Kneeling Pad
A kneeling pad isn’t required BUT very helpful. I have a bunch of the little thin ones which work fine but I’d recommend one like this that is bigger and thicker. Your knees will thank you. This is great not only for your knees but also to protect your pants from dirt, wet grass, etc. I started gardening in my 30s, and even I appreciate having a good kneeling pad.
Garden Buddy/Kneeler
If you’d like something more robust for gardening than a simple kneeling pad, the 2-in-1 Garden Kneeler Seat that can be used as a kneeler or a seat and also has two pouches on the side to hold gardening tools! Even better, it folds up for easy storage!
Bypass Lopper
These aren’t necessarily required BUT if you have some hard to reach branches or flowers you need to trim, these will work wonders! They are 28″ long to help you reach hard-to-reach places!
Weeder
This is another one that isn’t necessary BUT is a huge back saver if you have a lot of weeding to do. We love using this great tool for dandelions and thistles. It works really well and even pulls out the roots, which is needed for them not to grow back.
The standing weeder tool is 39″, which really helps with not having to bend over to pull weeds. We often will use this for weeding, and then put the roots right into the collapsible bag mentioned above. It’s one of our best buys as it saves so much time and bending over.
4-in-1 Soil Analyzer
A couple of months into having my seedlings in the house, the tomato seedlings were wilting. I was told that they were overwatered, which seemed weird to me because the top of the soil surface was dry, and I only watered them once a week on average.
I bought a 4-in-1 soil analyzer that will not only tell me if my veggies need to be watered but also if they’re getting enough or too much light, the soil pH, and fertility. So far, I’ve only used it to see if they are sufficiently watered and I’ve found that indeed, they are! Even when the soil surface seems to be dry.
Which, duh, I completely get that the soil would be drier on top than inside, but for some reason, it just goes against what I thought I knew about plants, so it’s hard for that to sink in.
I highly recommend this 4-in-1 tool, and I look forward to using it for its other functions as well! Other gardeners with much more experience than I also suggest this versatile tool and say it works really well as long as you follow the detailed directions.
Get the Kids Involved Too!
If your children are interested in helping with gardening, Fiskars has tools for them as well! With this kids shovel and rake they can help shovel dirt and loosen the ground in preparation for planting. They can also help rake leaves in the fall! My boys LOVE raking leaves. I hope they continue that even as they get older. I don’t worry as much with the kids tools in terms of getting a high-quality garden tool, as they’ll outgrow them before long, but having garden tools for kids is a great addition.
Kids Gardening Tools Set
This Kids Gardening Tools set is perfect for little beginner gardeners! It has everything they need to help out their parents and become interested in gardening. These tools are made of metal with sturdy wooden handles. They are great for the beach or sandbox as well. The set includes a spoon, fork, trowel, rake, and shovel.
Gardening Gloves for Kids
My kids love helping me garden, even just little things like watering and digging holes. They especially loved to help last year when we replaced all the mulch at our house! These gardening gloves fit them perfectly and work really well to keep their hands from getting hurt while helping out.
These gloves come in different sizes and colors.
Have Fun Gardening!!
What do you think of these ideas to get started?
Anything you feel I missed? Leave it in the comments below.
As a mom of identical twins and a son two years older, I have gained invaluable experience in the realm, and chaos, of parenting. With a Master's Degree and Education Specialist Degree in School Psychology, I spent years as a school psychologist, helping children navigate through their educational and emotional challenges. Now as a stay at home mom and professional blogger, I combine my areas of expertise to help you in your parenting journey.