Essential Survival Gear Blog

Garden tool sets can be a great gift, or just an easy way to get started gardening on your own.  But there is a wide range of tool sets available, so here is a look at the different garden tools you may want to make sure are in your garden tool set.

Garden hand tool kits are a popular gift for the gardener in your life. These are a great low cost way to get a jump on your own set of garden tools.  You can find garden tool sets that cover the whole range of options for garden hand tools.  Here are some things to look for when buying tools for gardening.

The number of tools can vary a bit. The smaller tool sets will have just 3 tools or so, but the options go up, and some will have twelve to fifteen tools included.  Of course the price varies with the number of tools, so set a budget to start with and that will help narrow the field somewhat.

Look at the handles of the tools. This is a reasonable good indicator of the workmanship of the tool set being considered.  Plastic handles tend to be cheaper, and often the other construction of the tools will be cheaper as well (for example, stamped tool bodies instead of cast). Nothing beats a well tooled wooden handle as they will last a long time and is comfortable to use. Some of these tools come with modern foams and other sculpted handles which can feel almost like they are shaped to the hand and are great for older gardeners or those who have chronic joint pains.

The tools that come with a garden set vary, but there are a few included in almost all sets.  One is the garden trowel. Looking like a smaller version of a shovel, it’s one of the more versatile tools in the garden, used to dig up root crops like garlic, or to prepare a bed for transplanting smaller vegetables. Make sure that the tool body is not a stamped sheet of metal, as this type of tool is not as rugged and will easily bend and eventually break.

A bulb planter looks like a narrow trowel, and is used in much the same way as a trowel, but is used to plant items that are smaller but still need a deep hole like flower bulbs.

A garden fork, sometimes known as a cultivator, has hooked tines on it and is used to work the surface of the soil. Good for cultivating or weeding a smaller area, they are good for preparing a smaller bed area for smaller seeds like carrots and radishes.

Pruners are popular in garden tool sets. Usually a set will have a bypass pruner, since these are smaller and more useful for things like trimming flowers and some vegetables such as cucumbers.

A garden tool set will come with a variety of holders.  Some are simple plastic holders, others included a leather holster, and some included a carrying case. These cases will sometimes have molded inserts for the tools, and the best cases are made of wood.

Finally, a garden utility cart can be a good gift. They are especially good for the older gardener who has more trouble stooping or carrying tools. A favorite part of some garden carts is the small seat that’s a part of the top cover that lets you work without bending a lot.