My Favorite Gardening Tools That Make Gardening Easier
Over the years, I've accumulated plenty of gardening tools, some have become indispensable, while others sit untouched in the the bottom of my gardening tool box. The gardening tools in this list are the tools I reach for again and again because they've proven themselves season after season. Whether you're planting your first flower bed or maintaining a thriving vegetable garden, these favorites will help make gardening easier and more enjoyable.
Fiskars Pruning Shears
I have two pairs of these Fiskars Pruning Shears, one lives on the front porch and one lives on the back porch. They're great for cutting flowers, veggies, or to just trim back a plant that's gotten a little unruly. I like Fiskars because they have a full lifetime warranty. Probably my favorite and most used garden tool.
Rachio WiFi Smart Sprinkler Controller
We've had our Rachio WiFi Smart Sprinkler for about 7 years and it has changed how my garden lives. If you have a sprinkler system already installed, it's SO easy to swap out with your current controller. Rachio allows me to set schedules based on the time of year, adjusts to current weather and rain, and if I see my tomatoes are a little droopy, its as simple as opening up the app and doing a quick run on that area. I LOVE this thing.
Straight Scissor Pruning Shears
I received these straight scissor pruning shears a few years ago as a gift. I didn't think I'd use them since I already loved my Fiskars shears, but I honestly use them just as much. These have a finer tip and are great for getting into hard to reach places and pruning more delicate things in the garden.
Fabric Grow Bags
I've had such great success growing vegetables and flowers in pots over the years. These grow bags are just as good, but are a lot cheaper and take up a lot less space when they're not in use. I like a pot or grow bag because you can really control the soil conditions based on the kind of plant that's going in your pot/bag.
Terracotta Self Watering Spikes
These terracotta self watering spikes changed my potted plant game. I have four pots on my front porch and I couldn't keep things alive in them because I just couldn't water them by hand every day. These spikes go into the soil and then you add a full bottle (wine, water, whatever) of water to the spikes. The terracotta is permeable so it lets water seep into the soil slowly, keeping the pots watered and your plants happy. During hotter months we have to refill them more often but I'd say on average, we refill every 2 weeks or so.
Weed Remover Tool
I honestly didn't know what this was for for a very long time. I use it for many things. First, it helps loosen up stubborn weeds. Just jab the fork end of the weed remover tool at the base of the weed and pull up. I also use it to help dig little holes for planting seeds. This is also one of my favorite gardening tools for kids. My daughter asks for it every time I ask her to help me pull weeds.
Heavy Duty Trowel
A heavy duty trowel is a gardening essential. Use it to dig holes, move soil, plant, or fling grubs out of your garden. I like a wide trowel because it helps move soil better.
Reusable Garden Plant Supports Clips
I've tried a few different styles of plant clips, but these are my favorite so far. Other styles were hard to take on and off and ended up popping off and getting lost in the garden. I like that these plant clips are easy to use and are easily reusable. I've used them on tomatoes, bougainvillea, and to train vines.
Wireless Indoor Outdoor Thermometer
I'm not sure if this classifies as a true "gardening tool" but the reader sits on my back porch and the data helps me decide if I should water or if it's cool enough to work in the garden. The thermometer display side sits on my kitchen window cill so I always know what the temp and humidity is out in the garden. This also makes a great gift.
Garden Knife
I just got this garden knife this year and I'm not sure how I've gone this long without one. I've used the cutting edge to trim garden twine, the serrated edge to cut stubborn thick weeds, and the sharp point to poke planting holes through cardboard.
You do not have to have a green thumb to garden. Gardening is just like any other skill— you learn, you make mistakes, you kill a whole lot of plants, and then you change your plan and you try a different way. Every master gardener started with one plant. And I PROMISE you, every master gardener killed a lot of plants along the way.
These tools have proven to make my gardening journey a lot easier and I hope they'll help you too.