Five Tools Every Gardener Should Have

When I first started gardening, I thought that I needed to have a garage full of tools to use. I went on a shopping spree and filled my cart up with every fancy thing I could find. A couple months in, I realized there are really only five tools I regularly use. So save yourself some money and learn from my mistake!

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Here are the five tools I believe every gardener should have:

Hori Hori Garden Knife: great for digging and weeding. This is so much better than a spade! It also has measurements right on the tool, so if the seed packet says to plant the seed one inch under ground, you can easily measure that out with this tool. Plus, you look pretty cool wearing it on your belt.

5/8 inch pruning shears: for pruning bigger stems and smaller tree branches. I’ve found this size to be perfect in my yard. They are small enough to carry around and big enough to cut anything growing in the garden.

Micro-tip snips: for the smaller things! I can’t believe how long I went using pruning shears for my smaller plants before I bought these. Micro-snips are a GAME CHANGER. They make pruning veggies and picking flowers so easy. Highly recommend jumping on board this train.

A garden tool belt: to hold all your tools. It sits right on your hip, doesn’t get in the way, and gives you easy access to all of your tools. It also makes the perfect belt to hang your Hori Hori knife on.

A sun hat: protect your face! I love my sun hat with a ponytail hole. When it’s too hot to have my hair in braids, this hat allows me to get everything off my neck, while still giving me the shade and sun protection I need. (PS you should still wear sunscreen!)

And a bonus: gardening gloves! I can’t garden without them.

For 99% of my time in the garden, this is all I use. Keeping it simple helps me to enjoy my time, be efficient, and not lug around a bucket of heavy tools.

Would you add anything to this list?