8 Essential Tools to Make Your Gardening Easier Than Ever

by: Nina Ross
March 10, 2023

Gardening is a fantastic hobby for all ages. It is as relaxing as it is spiritually rewarding. It is proven to be healthy for both the body and mind, and its produce of fresh fruits, vegetables, or beautiful flowers is equally gratifying.

So whether you are a novice gardener or an expert at all things gardening, you need a set of tools that will get the job done. Not only do you need tools that are effective in gardening, but you also need ones that are easy to work with.

Check out these eight essential tools to make your gardening easier than ever.

Gardening In All Its Glory 

Gardening dates back to 4000 years ago in Egypt. While it changed as it spread worldwide, the discipline of gardening stayed the same. In the classic era, gardening as a hobby began in the confines of the grand palaces across the French, English, and Spanish empires. 

The ill-fated French monarch Marie Antoinette was captivated by the allure of the gardens inside the Palace of Versailles. One such section of the sprawling gardens was named “Queen’s Grove”. Far from the royal court’s scrutiny, in her chateau ‘Le Petit Trianon’, the Queen spent most of her time often gardening herself with the help of the world’s best botanists, florists, and horticulturists.

Queen Elizabeth II also enjoyed gardening in her own time. She discovered this newfound passion in 2018 and spent a lot of time learning and partaking in gardening.

Besides royalty, gardening has been popular among cultures, peaking during the 2020-2021 pandemic. However, sensory stimulation is the one essence of gardening that most appreciate and enjoy. 

Types Of Gardening

Gardening is about more than just planting rose plants and sprouting tomatoes and oranges. There are so many different types of gardening you can nurture,

1. Kitchen Gardening: This is a personal garden, curated in the kitchen or somewhere indoors, as its produce is used most in daily preparing and cooking.
2. Container Gardening: This is self-explanatory, planting herbs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers in different sizes of pots and containers. 
3. Indoor Gardening: This refers to houseplants and potted coniferous varieties kept indoors. You know, the money plants, ferns, etc.
4. Square Foot Gardening: It’s in the name! Square foot gardening is curated by one square foot at a time.
5. Herb Gardening: This is a type of gardening dedicated to herbs.
6. Water Gardening: This is where plants are set out in freshwater, with fish and other aquatic animals dwelling in the same habitat.
7. Raised-Bed Gardening: This type of gardening is curated on a platform that is raised above the ground, usually for some types of plants, herbs and flowers. 
8. Hydroponic Gardening: This type of gardening doesn’t require soil. Plants set hydroponically grow faster and in larger quantities. But hydroponic gardens can be a hassle for novice gardeners.

Other types of gardening include core, back-to-eden, biodynamic, keyhole, and more.

Benefits Of Gardening

Gardening has great benefits for the body and mind, as discussed; let’s take a look at some of them,

• When you garden outdoors, you’re exposed to the sunlight. This helps strengthen your immunity system and fight diseases. 
• When you grow your own vegetables and fruits, you prevent the risk of pesticides and preservatives and eat a healthier diet. 
• When you’re digging, shoveling, cutting, and cleaning up debris, you’re working up a sweat. This counts as great exercise!
• Research has shown that gardening and horticulture can improve brain functions and memory retention. 
• Gardening relaxes you and relieves stress. It lowers anxiety and elevates your mood. 
• Gardening works as an excellent addiction recovery pastime. Horticulture has proved to be a beneficial tool for rehabilitation.
• When you garden with your family members or neighbors, it builds camaraderie and helps you spend quality time together.
• When you spend more time gardening and researching, you learn more and gain valuable knowledge.

Essential Tools To Make Gardening Easier

No matter what type of gardening you choose to do, you need tools. So many gardening tools are out there; trying to choose a few is overwhelming. So here are eight essential tools that will help you garden effortlessly, 

1. Thingamadig: A multi-purpose garden tool, it is versatile, easy to use and compact. For its ergonomically correct design, this helps you dig through tough grounds, thick roots, and clean foliage without pain. 
2. Hand Trowel: A trowel does everything from digging holes, to planting to cutting up soil, laying and smoothing on fertilizer. It is handy, compact, and easy to use. 
3. Spades and Shovels: Great for digging holes and digging out debris like weeds and dead plants. Opt for long handles, as this will make your job easier and be less strain on the arms. 
4. Long Rakes: A basic tool every gardener needs. They help remove weeds, debris, smooth out the compost and create seed beds. 
5. Shears: Crouching down to cut overgrown weeds and grasses is difficult. Get long-handled or swivel shears as they are light-weight, rotate and swivel to your convenience while cleaning without effort.
6. Watering Can: While this may sound like a no-brainer, good quality watering cans prevent you from wasting water instead of a hose.
7. Gardening Scissors: Hand-held scissors are great for swiftly cutting off dead plant debris, shriveled roots, and other stems. 
8. Aerator Shoes: These types of shoes are designed with spikes underneath that can aerate the ground as you trod on the soil.

Few Things To Remember

Now that we’ve gotten you interested in gardening, here are a few things to remember if you want to start gardening or get better at it. 

• Consider the effort: Before deciding to garden, acknowledge that you must put a lot of time and effort into maintaining it.
  
• Start small: Remember to start small indoors, in your kitchen or balcony, before you go all out on the rooftop.
  
• Pick a sunny spot: Hang pots by the window so it gets adequate sunshine, especially if you’re growing edible plants.
  
• Use good quality fertilizers: If you want your garden to be bountiful, invest in good quality fertilizers and soil mixes.
  
• DIY mixes: Not only do they save money, but some DIY fertilizers and mixes work better than pricey store-bought ones!
  
• When you grow your own produce, eat them immediately. Yes, they look cute on the plant, but the longer it’s there, the quicker it will decompose.

• Less is more: Whether it’s fertilizers or water, remember less is more. For example, use the 3-second rule when watering and follow instructions on the fertilizer packaging.
  
• Have patience: Don’t expect your garden to sprout the next day, so be patient and consistent with its maintenance. Also, go easy on yourself!

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this piece and become a masterful gardener! It’s a great pastime and can be a source of relaxation. You get your own produce! Share this with your family and friends to tap into the goodness of gardening.

FAQs

1.  How Can I Start My Own Hydroponic Garden?

Ans: Hydroponic gardens are great. They require no soil and less water; these gardens also sprout faster than regular garden plants. Plants in these gardens also grow in abundance. The first thing you should do is choose the type of plants you want to grow in your hydroponic garden. Secondly, choose the best hydroponic systems for your garden. We suggest a deep water culture system (DWC) as they grow fruits and vegetables faster than others. Then you should have proper lighting if the garden is not placed out in the open. Afterward, choose a medium, get hydroponic nutrients, and a pH meter. And there you have it; your hydroponic garden is ready!

2.  What Is A Good DIY Fertilizer for Plants?

Ans: DIY mixes save you money and keep you from wasting. DIY soil mixes utilize many things you would normally throw away, like coffee grounds, banana peels, and egg shells. Coffee grounds on their own are great to just spread over the soil. Remember to use it sparingly. Egg shells are also great for fertilizers; combining them with some strained tea leaves is a charm! Banana peels are also very beneficial for the soil, just cut up a peel and bury them in the soil. You can also spray some epsom salt or water mixture for a great pick-me-up for indoor plants.

3.  Do Indoor Plants Need To Be Fertilized?

Ans: Short answer, yes! You need to fertilize your indoor plants. They can’t receive nutrients and nourishment straight from the soil. This is why you must fertilize your indoor plants.

Indoor plants will not require fertilizers or mixes as frequently as outdoor plants. However, they require frequent watering and sunshine. Although there are fertilizers specially designed for indoor plants, you could use DIY natural recipes of mixes like egg shells or banana peels. So whether outdoors or indoors, treat and maintain your plants the same.