GON Reader Question
Do you have recommendations for helpful gardening gear?
Hi Maria,
I've been reading your newsletter since the beginning of time...it seems. I still love it just as much now as the day when I subscribed many years ago.
This year, I'm retired and I'd like to focus on gardening. This is something I've always wanted to do, but never had sufficient time with work, volunteering, taking care of my house, and raising my kids.
Now, I have a lot of time. I
stopped at a local greenhouse in town and they gave me all sorts of tips for flower and vegetable gardening. My husband and I already staked out a nice section of our backyard to grow our garden.
I know you do some gardening and I was hoping you'd share some of
your favorite gardening tools.
Thank you and happy spring to you and your family!
-- Carolina in Delafield, WI
Response from Maria Gracia
Hi Carolina,
First off, congratulations on your recent retirement. I'm so happy to hear you're going to begin using your free
time to be outside in nature doing something you enjoy.
I would be happy to share some of my favorite gardening tools.
1. Protect your hands! I have a pair of leather gardening gloves and they have saved my hands from dryness, as well as cuts and scratches. Honestly, in my opinion, a good pair of gloves is one of the most important gardening tools to have!
2. Save your knees! When I'm gardening, I
carry around an extra-thick kneeling pad. It has saved my knees on more than one occasion. It can also be used for other tasks like when you're kneeling to paint
your walls and are close to the floor, cleaning the tires of your car, or giving a young child a bath.
3. Dig holes...easy. You can do this manually, of course, but it's much easier and saves time if you use a garden auger drill. If you're going to plant a lot, this is a game-changer!
You'll still want to have a trusty hand trowel on hand as well for your manual digging needs.
4. Easy pruning as needed. I was just outside a few weeks ago pruning some plants from last year to get them ready for the season. This classic hand pruner got the job done nicely!
5. Keep your thirsty plants hydrated! When you use a watering wand, the task is a breeze! This particular one has all sorts of settings you can use: mist, flat, full, shower, soaker, cone, center, and stream. And it's not just for gardening. Use can use it to wash your dog, water the flowers in your hanging baskets, clean a bird bath, and more!
Yes, those are the basics...but the basics are almost always the tools that are the most important! Happy gardening!
