Best Garden Tools Make Gardening Easier

Best Garden Tools Make Gardening Easier

Every gardener and homesteader knows the joy of having great garden tools. The right tool makes the difference when you’re digging a hole, weeding a flower bed or pruning your favorite shrub.

Let’s face it, having well-designed, well-made and truly great garden tools makes any garden or yard work job easier—and a whole lot more satisfying. From shovels to weeders and from pruners to watering accessories, garden tools help to keep plants healthy. And great garden tools keep the entire yard looking great.

So, let’s give a big shout-out to the best garden tools. Let’s hear it for the yard and garden tools that are a pleasure to use because they get the job done. All of the items below are well made for years of hassle-free performance.

Best Garden Tools

The editors of Home, Garden and Homestead have been digging in the dirt and caring for plants longer than we care to admit. We’ve bought our share of discount shovels, poorly made trimmers and so-cheap-they-fall-apart gloves.

That’s why we’re happy to share our favorite tools. These are some great garden tools that we can’t live without.

Digging Holes has Never Been Easier

There’s no reason to dig holes the old-fashioned way anymore. That’s because planting augers from Power Planter make digging holes fast and easy. These sturdy metal planting augers are great garden tools because they’re terrific for planting bedding plants and bulbs. The planting augers can even aerate the soil in garden beds.

Planting augers from Power Planter have a 3/8-inch, non-slip hex drill bit end that fits into any standard cordless or corded power drill. Simply insert the planting auger into your drill and tighten it up. Then use your power drill to quickly drill to the maximum depth of the auger and lift the auger out of the hole. This leaves approximately one inch of loose dirt in the bottom of the hole, which is great for getting plants acclimated to the new soil. Just drop the plant in and refill the hole with the loose soil the auger has removed. Repeat this process for every plant and you are done!

The Homeowner Starter Pack from Power Planter contains two of the most popular digging augers. The Garden Planting Auger digs holes that are 2 inches wide and 7 inches deep—the ideal size for planting 4-pack and 6-pack annual bedding plants, grass plugs or even large seeds in the garden. The larger Bulb Auger and Bedding Plant Tool digs 3-inch-wide holes up to 7 inches deep, so it’s perfect for digging holes for larger bedding plants in the spring and for flower bulbs in the fall.

The popular 3 x 7 digging auger sells for about $27. Many other sizes are also available. Check Price and Options on Amazon. Power Planter is a small family-run business located on a farm in Central Illinois, and every Power Planter tool is backed by an unconditional guarantee on workmanship and quality.

Gardening Planning App that Simplifies Growing Your Own Food

Take the guesswork out of knowing when you should plant seeds with the From Seed to Spoon smart phone app.  This handy app simplifies growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs in your backyard container or garden.

a screen shot of the From Seed to Spoon smart phone app

From Seed to Spoon was designed by home gardeners for home gardeners. It lets you create a plant list for your garden and purchase seeds and growing supplies. The app supplies personalized planting dates, companion planting guides, recipes, plant’s health benefits profiles, organic pest treatments, and more.

From Seed to Spoon helps home gardeners grow healthier, more nutritious, fresh foods, and save money on groceries. Go from beginning gardener to garden expert with the help of From Seed to Spoon. Download the app now from the App Store or Google Play. From Seed to Spoon is also available as a web app for your desktop computer.

Best Garden Tools for Precision Weeding

The CobraHead “mini” Weeder and Cultivator is the perfect tool for precision weeding in flower beds, vegetable gardens and even in flower pots and containers. Imagine having a “steel fingernail” to weed, cultivate, dig, plant and transplant. That’s basically what the blade of a CobraHead tool is. The strong, tempered-steel blade cuts through and all kinds of soil, even the toughest clay, and it makes short work of cleaning weed-choked gardens. The CobraHead “mini” Weeder was honored with a Green Thumb Award by the Direct Gardening Association as one of the best new garden tools on the market.

cobrahead mini great garden tools

The CobraHead “mini” is smaller and lighter than the original CobraHead Weeder, so it’s easier to use in tight spaces. The original CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator is a bit larger and heftier, so it’s well-suited for weeding larger garden spaces. Both of the CobraHead hand tools have comfortable, ergonomically designed handles that are made from a mix of recycled plastic and wood fiber. The attractive blue handle is molded around the unique steel blade to ensure it can never work loose.

Also available is the CobraHead Long-Handle tool that’s great for cultivating and weeding while you’re standing up. Older gardeners and those with limited kneeling and bending ability find this tool an especially enabling device.

The CobraHead “mini” Weeder hand tool sells for about $27 and the original CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator sells for about $30. A CobraHead Long Handle tool is also available. Check Prices and Availability.

A Shovel that Gets Down to Business

Digging in the garden was difficult for 85-year-old Daniel Mathieu. He had two replacement knees and two artificial hips, so using a shovel was difficult and painful. Rather than giving up his passion for gardening, he invented a better shovel. The Spear Head Spade garden shovel makes digging in the toughest soils (rocky, heavily rooted, clay) easier than with a regular shovel.

The double patented “spear head” blade of the Spear Head Spade garden shovel concentrates all your weight and force to a single point. This effectively multiplies your digging power, and it makes penetrating tough soils easier. Subsequent special beveled angles allow the blade to gradually wedge, burrow, and slice through the dirt.

The extra-long double-riveted socket prevents handle breakage where stresses are highest. Plus, the fiberglass with steel tube reinforcement makes the Spear Head Spade one of the lightest and strongest shovels on the market. Extra-large foot rests and the soft cushioned D-grip handle make digging easier and more comfortable.

A unique epoxy powder coating on the blade minimizes friction and is designed to wear away on the blade’s leading edges, making the tool sharper the more it is used. The Spear Head Spade garden shovel comes in four highly visible colors—yellow, lavender, lime green and pink. It sells for about $52.00. Check Price and Options.

Extra Water for Thirsty Plants

Many vegetable plants perform best when they receive a steady supply of water. Now you can effortlessly deliver water directly to plants that need a little extra moisture in your vegetable and flower gardens. The easy-to-fill Hydro Cup Watering Stake helps you water more effectively by providing water below the surface of the soil directly to the plant’s roots.

The Bio Green Hydro Cup Watering Stake is a great garden tool

The Hydro Cup makes it easy to supplement your regular schedule of watering. Just lift off the lid and pour water into the reservoir. The slow delivery of the water through the terracotta stake means no water is wasted. And your plants never dry out.

Hydro Cup Watering Stakes are great for thirsty plants like tomatoes and other vegetables. They fit nicely in raised beds and container plantings. They are also perfect for watering plants while you are on vacation. The cup holds 2.5 liters of water, and the cup’s cover prevents water loss from evaporation.

A set of four Hydro Cup Watering Stakes is available for about $70.

Check Price and Availability on Amazon.

Loppers with Extendable Handles

Experienced gardeners know this: having high-quality cutting tools is one of the keys to a healthy and attractive yard. Fiskars is a respected name for all kinds of cutting tools including pruners, hedge trimmers and loppers.

great garden tools fiskar loppers

The Fiskars Extendable Power-Lever Lopper joins the list of great garden tools for many reasons. The craftsmanship is top notch, and the precision-ground steel blades easily slice through tough branches. The durable handles can quickly extend from 25 inches to 37 inches, making it easy to reach higher branches. The foam hand grips provide maximum stability and comfort.

Having these high-quality loppers in you garden shed makes it easy to cut thick branches. And the extendable handles bring many branches safely within reach. In addition, the Power-Lever mechanism uses compound lever technology to add power to every cut. That means your leverage is maximized to double the cutting power of a traditional pair of loppers. The hardened steel cutting blades are coated to resist rust and decrease friction. The bottom line: these loppers still cut like new even after years of use. The Fiskars Extendable Power-Lever Lopper sells for about $42.

Water Garden Plants in Old-Fashioned Style

Forget cheap plastic watering cans that crack and leak when left outside after a year or two. A sturdy galvanized metal watering can will last much longer, and it looks better, too. That’s why we think a quality watering can deserves a spot in our Best Garden Tools list.

great garden tools lehmans watering can

The Large Galvanized Watering Can  is a throwback to heirloom gardens and the classic tools that were used to tend them. It’s made of heavy-gauge steel, which is dipped in zinc to seal the seams, protect against rust and give it a nice galvanized finish. In addition, the spout and handle are securely welded and sealed. Leaks will not be a problem with this watering can, not even after a decade of use.

The Large Galvanized Watering Can really is large, able to hold up to 2.5 gallons of water. Practical and long-lasting, it’s a timeless piece in any garden. Check Price and Availability.

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