With the right tools, gardening is made so much more enjoyable.
Our hands have been hurt by gloves that didn’t fit. We’ve also had to deal with garden forks bent under slight pressure. Secateurs that ate our prunings. And a wheelbarrow that was too small. We never purchase anything without doing thorough research.
“We” means Mr Middlesize. He does not enjoy gardening, and especially if his tools are poor quality. He spends days on the internet researching new tools, like a wheelbarrow, ladder or even gardening gauntlets.
Dan Cooper from Dan Cooper Garden has also been asked to provide his list of the most useful gardening tools that are suitable for smaller courtyard gardens.
Sometimes I get products sent to me for free, but I will never guarantee that I’ll review them. Only review it if you will like it. Friends give me gifts for gardening.
This list is made up of both things that we have bought for ourselves and items given as gifts. You’ll know which ones are which. See disclosure for links to Amazon. The links on this site are affiliate.
A good wheelbarrow is a must.
Never knew that there were good and bad wheelbarrows. After a weekend spent hauling bulk loads of manure to and from the rear garden, Mr Middlesize was fed up with our galvanised standard wheelbarrow. He found the wheelbarrow uncomfortable and too small for his 6’4″ height. He thought he would be able to wheel larger loads in a wheelbarrow with more capacity, reducing the amount of trips.
After spending what seemed like a lifetime on the Internet researching the perfect wheelbarrow, Wheelbarrows Direct was born. is a family-run business that sells the best wheelbarrows. They have backgrounds in the construction industry and equestrian sports, so they are familiar with lugging heavy loads around yards every day. If you’re looking for a wheelbarrow, I recommend going to an equestrian centre rather than a garden centre.
The 120-litre “Fatboy” Wheelbarrow is green and has a puncture-proof single wheel. The wheelbarrow is light, strong, stable, and very easy to handle for us both. When people know what kit is, they make positive comments in the garden.
The larger wheelbarrow is easy to maneuver for me, even though we have both a ‘his and hers’ barrow. We’d only have one if we had the space.
He did a similar exercise on a shredder for a garden. If you’re wondering whether or not to purchase one, this is the information.
A good hand weeder is a must-have in any garden tool kit.
Julie Quinn, who runs the London Cottage Garden blog, has recently introduced me to the delights of bronze and copper garden tools.
These tools are beautiful. I love them. I may have been a little shallow. Bronze and copper are both durable and comfortable tools.
For Christmas, a friend of mine gave me the nunki weeder by Implementations. This is a hoe that looks like a hand-held tool. The Implementations website claims that the hooped-blade allows gardeners to “remove mat-forming weeds close to established plant without damaging them.” And this is true. The goose grass was covering some daffodils. I tore through it. The goose grass was removed without damaging daffodil leaves. The full-size hoe was difficult to maneuver.
Copper tools are said to deter snails and slugs, but this is a claim that comes from both users, and the Hardy Plant Society Sussex Group. I am not sure of the science behind this claim, but I do know that the Implementations Nunki Weeder is an attractive and efficient weeder. It would be an added bonus if it helped to repel slugs or snails.
The Plus modular seed tray is easy to use and has a large capacity.
I have tried to grow seeds on various modules and trays. My favourite so far is the bustaseed modular system of seed trays, propagation kits and re-usable modules.
They are durable, reusable and hardwearing. Each row of seeds can be lifted out to check the roots. When it’s time to plant them, they slide right out. This is much simpler than trying to push the seedling from beneath.
Bustaseed gave me trays to review for free when it first began. I have been using them for years. Each tray has 7 rows with 5 modules. It also comes with a transparent lid. The elements are all recyclable. The IDI2020 Design Award was given for their sustainable design.
Feeders and bird food
Bird feeders and bird food are important garden tools, even though they cannot be considered a gardening tool. The birds love to flock at the feeders. We wanted to make sure that the birds didn’t get eaten by squirrels or rats, so we purchased Roamwild Rat and Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeders
The feeding ports of these bird feeders close automatically if heavy birds, such as squirrels, land on their perches.
Despite the fact that birds in this garden have been fed for more than 40 years with love, all of them view new equipment as dangerous. The birds ignored the feeders for a whole month.
They suddenly began using them. The new bird feeders are more durable and higher quality. The bird feeders also prevent the seed from clumping up or becoming rotten because they keep out water better. So far there have been no squirrel attacks.
Richard Jackson sent us their premium bird food to review. The 13 ingredients are designed to bring the most variety of birds to your garden. Richard Jackson claims it contains three times as much energy as ordinary bird food. It was a hit with our birds.
Richard Jackson sent along a Peanut Butter Birdfeeder in addition to the peanut butter. The birds were once again suspicious about a new gadget in the bird feeder. The feeder stayed untouched for one month. We noticed the starlings were eating and the robin was also. It seems that the sparrows are still arguing over who gets to try it first. This is a great way to find out the smartest birds in your yard.