Essential Garden Tools

Featured Pro: Eric Stromer
Category: Home Improvement
Time: 2:31


ERIC STROMER: Hey, I’m Eric Stromer, and I’ll show you all the tools you need to work in your garden with this GMC Trade Secret.

First up, the shovel. Now, this is a must-have tool, of course, necessary for all your digging projects. A general round-end shovel will be best for most tasks. Similarly, the hand trowel is essential for digging small holes and planting and weeding. And you also need a leaf rake. Now, that’s for gathering up leaves and trimmings and for general cleanup. This is a great one. It’s nice and wide.

Now, that shouldn’t be the only rake that you have. You should also think about getting one of these bad boys. This is called a bow rake, and this is used to loosen soil, remove weeks and debris, and for working compost into the soil.

Now, when it comes to trimming hedges and other bushes, you’re definitely going to need some hand shears. These are great ones. They also extend. So if you’re trying to get something a little bit higher than you can normally reach, it’s a great option.

All right. Now, I’ve got to tell you, you’ll definitely need a hoe right here. But you can take it one step further and you can get yourself a hula hoe. That’s right. Now, like traditional hoes, you’ll need this for weeding and making shallow trenches to plant your seeds. Now, the advantage of the hula hoe is that it works if you both push it and pull it. This is a great option – a hula hoe.

Now, you may not be familiar with some of the next tools. They come from Japan, and they’re really excellent garden tools. One of those is the pruning saw. You’re going to need this to prune branches and to cut dense roots. Now, the Japanese pruning saws have an excellent advantage for cutting on the pull stroke. This makes a really clean cut, which is actually healthier for most trees.

All right. Now, a very useful hand tool also is called the Nejiri Gama hoe. That’s right. It’s right here. This is really, really sharp. You’ve got to be careful. But this is great, because you don’t go too deeply into the soil, and that will actually disturb the dormant weeds, which might stir up more weed growth. This is a nice thing to have also.

A knife is an essential tool for gardeners, and this Japanese hori hori knife is a cross between a knife and a trowel, and it can be used for planting and transplanting or removing roots, cutting back intruding grass, and more. This is an excellent option.

Finally, don’t forget one of the most important items in your garden. That’s a good pair of gloves. In fact, consider owning three pairs. You want a pair of leather gloves for heavy-duty work. You want some gauntlet gloves to protect your arms and wrists while you're working with thorny plants; and then, of course, latex-covered gloves for dirty or wetter work.

Now, these essential tools will help you with most of your gardening projects.

Well, that’s your GMC Trade Secret. I’m Eric Stromer, and I’ll see you the next time.