5 Essential Tools to Get Back to Gardening This Spring

Craig Winer, senior vice president and co-owner of Garrett Wade, shares the tools he swears by for a successful home garden.

Mar 25, 2021 - 07:17

5 Essential Tools to Get Back to Gardening This Spring

Craig Winer, senior vice president and co-owner of Garrett Wade, shares the tools he swears by for a successful home garden.

Dollahite tackled landscaping last, installing climate-sensitive plants in metal planters he designed himself.

This past year was huge for home gardening. When the lockdowns kept us at home, many folks turned to the soil as a way to escape. For some, gardening is a kind of therapy; for others, growing food provides a simple satisfaction. For myself, being barefoot outside with my hands in the dirt helps me think so much more clearly.

With spring approaching once again, it’s time to look back at the last year and take stock of everything we learned: what worked, and what didn’t? What can we do to make this garden season even better than the last? As one of the owners of Garrett Wade, I’ve spent decades testing tools. Here are the top five I recommend to jump-start your garden this spring.

Garrett Wade is a family-owned business established in 1975 and based in DUMBO, Brooklyn, and Cincinnati, Ohio. It sources and sells a range of high-quality hand tools primarily for woodworking, gardening, and outdoor work. The tools are based on traditional designs.

Craig Winer, SVP and co-owner of Garrett Wade.

One tool you’ll be happy to always have with you is a digging knife, which is sometimes called by its Japanese name, hori-hori. Think of it as a weeder, trowel, and root chopper all in one. This is a tool you’re going to work hard year after year as you lift weeds, dig into packed soil, or pry loose stubborn rocks. What makes this tool effective is its strong and sturdy blade. I’ll admit there are times when I should have grabbed a shovel, but our digging knife was what I had in my hand—and it didn’t fail.

Our new digger takes the classic design and ramps up the functionality and durability. We use an exceptionally strong Japanese stainless steel blade that's a full 1/8-inch thick and 7 inches long. We made the handle out of a tropical redwood for comfort and strength. A custom-fit USA-made leather belt sheath is included, so the digger is always by your side. Years ago, Japanese toolmakers pioneered this very popular hori-hori design ("hori" means "to dig" in Japanese). A digger is meant for gardeners to use as a durable, everyday tool for weeding, loosening soil, and planting. With its row of teeth, it can even do light root chopping. We have carried this style of digger for decades because it functions really well.

Pruning is something you’ll find yourself doing all year long. (Now is a great time to deal with any winter damage to your trees!) Cutting branches requires a few different tools: a hand pruner, a lopper, and a saw. I love this pruning set because it covers all the pruners you’ll likely need. I’ll provide one word of caution: Given the years it takes a tree to grow, I urge you to learn a bit about pruning before you jump in. One of my favorite articles on how to prune is an easy read from Purdue University.

A matched set of five types of pruners that cover all of your pruning tasks. For smaller pruning jobs, like branches or flowers, we include three hand pruning shears. The handles are nicely shaped in a cast aluminum with rubber grips. Each has a spring-loaded snap catch. The overall length is about eight inches. The Anvil Pruner is the best choice is for dry stalks and dead wood. The Bypass Pruner is best for green material, and the Flower Cutter, with its 2½-inch long cutters, is perfect for flowers or harvesting.

When you’re preparing your garden beds for the season, it’s important to turn over the soil. It introduces fresh oxygen and loosens it up after being packed down for a year. This also sets up your new plants to be healthy and grow strong roots. My recommendation is our double-sided garden hoe, which comes in two lengths and is made for us in Germany by a third-generation family business. One side has a wider blade for early-season bed preparation, and the other has a narrow blade to get between existing plants during mid-season weeding.

This short-handled hoe pair has a wide 3-inch main blade with a 1-inch blade on the other end to double this garden tool’s usefulness. The Long-Handled Hoe saves your back as you turn soil, prepare garden beds, and plant rows. The Short-Handled Hoe works well in cramped areas or when seated or kneeling. You can use both for mixing compost or peat into your soil when planting. Both handles are lightly oiled for eased gripping and better performance. Hand-crafted in Germany.

Each spring, I’m often planting in the garden before I’ve brought out the garden hoses. I’ll plant the lettuce, but I usually don’t run hoses until Memorial Day. A well-sized watering can, like our made-in-the-U.S.A galvanized version, is invaluable. It holds enough water to give a new plant a good soak, but not so much that it’s hard to carry it when full.

Your grandparents probably had a durable watering can like this, and it’s comforting to know that this timeless design is still being produced. The detachable nozzle directs a gentle flow that make this perfect for watering flowers in raised beds, or herbs in a well-tended kitchen garden. Constructed of hot-dipped galvanized steel, and then coated in zinc to make it water-tight and rust-resistant. Features two handles: a painted birch carry handle–that’s finished with gloss for to aid weather- and fade-resistance–and a steel watering handle. Recessed bottom, so it won’t rust sitting on the ground. Best for outdoor use. 10-½" high, 8-½" diameter, and approximately 15-½" from spout to handle. The nozzle is attached by a rubber gasket that pulls right off. Holds 1.5 Gallons. Made in the USA.

I am a huge fan of planting trees—especially fruit trees. I love starting something that will live for generations. Apple and pear trees are some of my favorites. I love the blossoms in the late spring, and when they yield fruit at the end of summer, nothing tastes better. If, like me, you live in an area where there are big rocks, digging holes can be a chore. Our garden shovel is perfect for the job because it doesn’t flex, and it always stays sharp! I’ve pried up massive rocks and cut through thick roots with ease. I also love that the shovel is made by a family business in the U.S.