If you’re looking at this article, it is likely that you are new to gardening and don’t really know where to start. And although it is now August, you’re not too late for the gardening season. In fact, lots of common vegetables can be planted in August and be ready for harvest before the winter has even truly begun. Lettuce, spinach, and kale seeds can be set in the soil to grow this month.
Read this list of top 7 gardening necessities, and you’ll learn what equipment you need to make your garden flourish.
1. Gardening gloves / outdoor work gloves are one of the most important gardening necessities you can buy. Due to the hands-on nature of gardening, you must protect your hands from the things you may be touching, like stinging nettles, sharp thorns, and aggressive insects. Garden gloves / outdoor work gloves are water-resistant, so will serve you well in wet outdoor conditions. They’re also typically highly flexible for added dexterity while remaining comfortable and grippy. The gloves also tend to come with a reinforced thumb patch to add extra protection against sharp objects that may pierce your thumbs.
If you’re thinking of growing your own fruits, you should invest in a pair of specialised fruit picking gloves. Fruit picking gloves are a great addition to any garden keeper’s arsenal as they provide a good grip on the fruits without spoiling them and keep your hands clean. Gloves are important when picking fruit, so the bacteria from your hands don’t reach the fruit.
2. Hand trowels are great for correctly bedding plants and herbs, while also being fantastic for getting rid of pesky weeds that kill the plants that you want to be there. The best hand trowels are made from stainless steel, as this metal is renowned for its durability and anti-rusting nature. Many hand trowels also include imprinted measurements on the plate so that you can see exactly how far into the ground you have dug, and how much further you need to go to give your plants enough space to grow correctly. For example, vegetable beds should be anywhere from 12 to 18 inches deep to allow the seeds to grow, a measurement that your hand trowel will help you to get right.
3. Spades function the same as trowels but they’re far larger by comparison and can move more soil at once than a hand trowel can. It is recommended that you invest in a good-quality stainless steel spade so that you won’t need to buy another any time soon.
4. Rakes are going to be integral to keeping your garden looking clean and tidy, especially if you have a lot of trees that shed leaves in the autumn. Rakes can scrape debris across large areas without damaging the floor, whether dirt and grass or stone tiles. And if you get a rake with the correctly sized handle, you won’t be straining yourself to clean up either.
5. Hoses with adjustable nozzles are a must-have for any garden. They will save you lots of time and energy that you would otherwise waste trying to water your entire garden using just a watering can. With an adjustable nozzle, you can cover large areas of your garden at once with a simple turn of plastic. If you need to water sturdier plants, you can use the ‘full’ setting, and for more fragile plants you can use the ‘mist’ setting. The possibilities are endless and your plants will thrive when you use the correct setting. When you’re not using your hose, however, you need to ensure that you keep it coiled up and out of direct sunlight. Else the rubber might become damaged and encourage the generation of weak spots that will make your hose unusable.
6. Wheelbarrows are a fantastic piece of equipment to have in your garden. Moving large quantities of anything from one end of your garden to the other will never have been easier. However, traditional dual-handle wheelbarrows can be difficult to use when you’re trying to lift heavy loads, so it is better to buy a single-handle two-wheel model, as they are far easier to balance. Wheelbarrow maintenance is also very easy. All you need to do to clean your wheelbarrow is hose it down and ensure that it is completely dry before you store it (drying it is important to avoid rust).
7. Knee Pads are a garden accessory that people tend to forget about, even though they are actually incredibly important to keep your knees in good shape after a long day of keeling for extended periods. Putting so much strain on your joints can really take a toll on them, so it is important to use knee pads to alleviate the pressure. They’re not difficult to find and very affordable. You don’t even need anything particularly fancy, anything will do.
Also Read: 5 Tips to Having Happiest Home With Plants and Flowers
