If you are new to gardening and ready to become the expert gardener you always wanted to be, you’ve probably been wondering about what gardening tools to get when starting out.

Having a few essential garden tools will make your life and gardening so much easier and more enjoyable!

I, for one, know that when my favorite pruners are nowhere to be found, it messes with my garden zen! Or when I want to start seeds, the process goes so much quicker with my seed trays and garden dibber ready to be used!

12 Essential Garden Tools for Beginners

You may get a little too excited and go overboard at the garden center when getting your garden tools for the first time. Often buying gardening tools you'll probably not use or use very limitedly. Taking up a lot of space and costing you a lot of money.

Avoid this common mistake many novice gardeners make and buy only a few good-quality starter essentials.

These are my recommendations for essential garden tools for beginners!

1.Pruning Shears

Hand pruners help control plants getting out of control and taking over. There are predominantly two styles: Anvil-style pruners that cut with a sharp blade meeting a flat surface. And bypass pruners that cut with a sharp blade passing by a sharp-edged flat surface, like a scissor.

Anvil pruners work great for deadwood, whereas bypass pruners are better for live plants and greenwood.
Pruners should fit comfortably in your hand.
If you don't have much hand strength or struggle with arthritis, ratcheting pruners will work better.
Pruners should be sharpened often for cleaner cuts and less injury to plants.
Find Bypass pruners HERE.

2. Loppers

Loppers are long-handled pruners for trimming tree branches to maintain your yard and garden and encourage overall plant health and appearance. It works great for hard-to-reach areas and thicker stems. There are anvil and bypass types, just like pruners.

Bypass loppers cut more precisely than anvil style.
Longer handled loppers can get heavy so test them at the garden center.
Make sure you get the correct length for how far you'll need to reach.
Lightweight aluminum or carbon-composite loppers are often lighter.
Like pruners, you need to keep the blades in good condition and sharpen them regularly.
Find my favorite loppers HERE.

3. Japanese Floral Scissors from Bloomist

Ok, these are not that essential, but I love mine! And they are pretty looking too! These smaller garden scissors have very thin and sharp blades, and they are great for snipping delicates such as flower stems, buds, dead flowers, herbs, and houseplants with a clean cut.

Longer handles help to trim hard-to-reach stems.
Look for specialty steel that won’t rust.
Satin or rubber handles will ensure a firm grip.
Wipe the blades with a soft cloth, then oil with vegetable or machine oil to prevent rust.
Find these fantastic scissors HERE.

4. Garden Hoe

A garden hoe is ideal for removing unwanted weeds without disturbing what lies beneath. It can also help to clear away leaves and neaten your beds and borders.

A vegetable garden may require a sturdy, wide hoe, and perennial gardens a thinner hoe.
A Dutch hoe is the most common and is often the easiest to use. It has a sharp, wide, open blade that skims just below the soil's surface.
Make sure the handle is long enough for your length.
A sharp blade works better and is easier to use.
Flat hoes work well for turning the soil in your vegetable rows.
If persistent weeds are a problem, a Dutch hoe with teeth will help you hook out more challenging patches.

5. Garden Fork

A garden fork is a handy tool for loosening and turning soil and can dig into dense soil better than a spade.

Forks with slightly curved tines are helpful for scooping mulch or turning compost piles, like a pitchfork.
Straight tines work better for digging in compacted, rocky, or clay soil.
Square tines are stronger and more durable than flat tines, which can bend when they hit a rock or root.

6. Garden Tool Set - AKA The Minis

If you really just want to get the basics, get this garden tool set and a good quality pruner. These three essential hand tools - trowel, transplanter, and cultivator- are ideal for various tasks, including digging, loosening soil, aerating, planting, weeding, and more.

Select a broader blade to move more soil at a time or a long, narrow blade to dig up weeds or for rocky ground.
The handles should feel comfortable and sturdy in your hand.
Cast aluminum heads resist rust and cut through tough ground.
THIS basic set is great to start with.

7. A Shovel/ Spade

A shovel helps dig holes for plants, edging, lifting sod, and moving heaps of dirt from one area to another. This tool will be a pricier investment, but a good-quality shovel will last almost forever!

Hardwood handles are durable and absorb shock and vibration.
Alloy tubing and zinc-treated handles are virtually unbreakable.
Longer handles will provide more leverage but are heavier. Whereas shovels with shorter handles are lighter, and you may need to put in more effort.
Choose stainless steel heads as they are more robust and won't rust.

8. Garden Dibber

A garden dibber makes seed planting way faster, easier, and fun! Its pointed stick is used to poke identical holes into the soil where you will plant your seed, seedlings, cuttings, or small bulbs.

They are made from wood, plastic, or metal. Metal or stainless steel will last longer, but the wood ones are pretty ;-)
Thinner dibbers are best for seeds, seedlings, and cuttings. While planting small bulbs requires a thicker dibber.
A dibber with measurements on is handy to make sure you dig deep enough according to the seed's requirements.
A longer handle at the top will ensure a sturdy grip.

9. Rake

My rake and shovel may just be my handiest, all-around stalwarts. They help in the garden and even rake and scoop the animal poop! A good sturdy rake comes in handy to rake leaves and other debris.

Rakes come in various styles and sizes, but a standard leaf rake should do the job.
Steel tines are stronger, last longer, and are great for harder surfaces but might be too rough on delicate lawns. Whereas plastic tines work well for delicate flower and vegetables beds or lawns.

10. Watering Can

A watering can always come in handy where a hose cannot reach or when you water potplants or plants in the greenhouse. Watering cans are made of plastic or metal with various sizes and nozzle options.

Plastic cans are lighter than metal but not as durable.
Metal cans are more durable if they are galvanized to resist rusting.
Choose a comfortable size of can relative to your strength. A gallon of water weighs just over 8 pounds.
A large watering can with a sprinkler head works well for outdoor plants and a long-necked version for houseplants and small delicate plants.
THIS is my favorite long-necked watering can from Bloomist. Not only does it work fantastic, but it is also gorgeous!

11. Gloves

Gloves are also not an essential item, but they come in very handy when you want to spare your manicure or work with thorny plants!

Choose a water-resistant but breathable fabric to keep your hands from sweating.
Make sure they are the perfect fit and not too bulky; otherwise, you may end up with blisters or not get n good grip and struggle to work with delicates.
Gloves with longer cuffs will protect wrists and forearms from scratches and keep soil getting in.
Store your gloves out of sunlight, away from water, and safe from insects to prolong their quality.
HERE is one of my favorite Paris from Digz Gardening

12. A Mod Hod Trolley

Also, not an essential, but oh so handy! I use this SO much! Our vegetable garden is a few steps away from our home so having something like this to gather our harvests makes it that much easier. Ava also loves to "help" pull it around!

Choose a trolley with good-quality wheels that will glide effortlessly over your lawn or pebbled walkways.
I love that mine has three baskets as often there are loads of produce to be harvested!
You can get them HERE!

These are the garden tools I would use most in our garden, some more than others! They are just suggestions and you really don’t need them all when starting out.

Sometimes it is also better to get gardening first and in time you’ll realize what your priorities are and what you really need. Just like in life!

If you are new to gardening, these blog posts may be very helpful to you:

A free gardening template to plan your vegetable garden

Seed starting basics

The best organic soil recipe

Love, Annette xx

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