Читать книгу In Bloom - Clare Nolan - Страница 13

There are all sorts of fancy tools for seemingly every single gardening task man has ever thought of, but the following are the ones I use on a very regular basis. For essential floristry tools, see page 230.

Decent pruning shears: These are worth spending a bit of money on. I prefer the bypass types as they work like scissors and give a clean cut. I have two sizes: one for cutting stems and one that can get through small branches. Keep shears clean and sharp.

Flower snips: For deadheading, pinching out, and cutting herbs and some thinner-stemmed flowers.

Wheelbarrow: If you’re going to be tending anything bigger than a couple of beds, it’s worth buying a wheelbarrow to save yourself the hassle of carrying everything yourself. You can get away with a plastic bin with handles if you’re working something small.

Digging spade: Choose one that suits your body in terms of its weight and length – I’ve got one with an extra-long handle, which suits me as I’m tall. My spade has footrests so I can stand on it in my boots.

Digging fork: Again, I’ve got one with a longer handle as that’s what suits me.

Hoe: For weeding seedlings on the surface of the soil, using a hoe for 5–10 minutes every now and then saves so much time later.

Rake: This is invaluable for prepping the ground for sowing and planting out.

Hand trowel and hand fork: I use copper-alloy hand tools – they are not cheap, but look stunning and perform well.

Pen knife: A sharp, general-purpose knife can be used for everything from cutting twine to taking cuttings.

Garden knife: I’d been using a retired kitchen bread knife in the garden for years before I discovered hori-hori knives existed. Mine has one serrated and one smooth edge – it’s my new favorite tool for dividing plants, cutting roots, or weeding.

Plastic bin with handles: These are really useful for collecting weeds, mixing compost, moving or soaking plants, or filling with water and using to drench planting holes.

Watering cans: For watering small areas and applying feeds you need a watering can. A gentle spray head is essential for watering small plants.

Hose: If you intend to have only a few small beds, you can make do with a watering can. Otherwise, spend a bit of money on a hose, as cheap ones will soon kink and it’s really annoying to have to walk to the other end of the hose to straighten it out the whole time. I’m upgrading to a drip-irrigation system for next season as it will save so much time and is a much more efficient way of watering.

Garden sprayer: These are useful to apply homemade feeds and tonics to small plants. I use a mini version in the greenhouse to mist seedlings and cuttings.

Gardening gloves: I wear these at every opportunity to save my hands and my nail polish.