A garden spade is among the most versatile tools in a gardener’s arsenal. Use your garden spades in planting, cultivating, contouring, and other light-oriented gardening tasks. The spades are not only meant to be used for heavy-duty digging, but rather is used for light maintenance tasks, like cutting sod, laying down concrete, mixing in fertilizer, and digging planting holes. Because of this versatility, it’s no wonder that many gardeners choose to own more than one garden tool.

A garden fork is an excellent choice if you’re looking to sharpen your garden tools and don’t have the time to invest in other garden tools. While it does come in various sizes, a small to medium-sized garden fork is perfect for most gardeners. The smaller spading fork is usually better for edging your garden beds instead of digging, but there are some larger garden tools available such as a garden trimmer or lawn edger that would be better for heavy-duty garden work. In addition, these larger garden tools usually come with a longer arm.

A garden hoe, while a bit more expensive than a garden fork, can be a valuable asset to a gardener’s arsenal. As its name suggests, the garden hoe has a flat ground surface and a shovel in the shape of a triangle. This makes it ideal for trimming overgrown grass or for clearing large patches of weeds, providing a cleaner path, and eliminating the need for using a shovel. These gardening tools are usually one or two feet long; however, you can find models that range from three to six inches in length.

A trimmer is a combination spade and a weed whacker. It is generally three to six inches in length and designed for trimming thick grass or weeds close to the edges of your garden bed. This tool is great for getting rid of pesky stem-wounds on young plants, helping you to control erosion and spurring plant growth. Trimmers are also ideal for removing damaged roots or cutting back overgrown grass or weeds.

A lawn mower, while more expensive than a trimmer, is more versatile than a trimmer and can help keep your lawn area maintained. Some models are double-sided, with an attached blade. The blade can be adjusted to cut through weeds or pull weeds out of the ground. For areas where lawn care is minimal, the small single-edged lawn mower can be a good investment.

An edger is a smaller version of a garden fork. It is perfect for short-grass lawns and lawn edging. You can create a neat edge by using an edger. An edger with a round hook attachment is ideal for curved lawns and landscaping. These tools have a short handle and are best used on short-grass areas. Edging tools that attach to a garden hose to allow for continuous lawn coverage include the garden trimmer and the line.

A garden hose, also referred to as a garden hose reel, is often confused with a lawnmower. Both have similar functions, but a garden hose is typically used for smaller lawns and landscaping. It is commonly used to water flowerbeds and even ornamental grass in larger gardens. Garden hoses also attach to garden ponds for irrigation and can be used to water small flowerbeds and garden beds.

The most versatile gardening tool is the garden sprayer. The sprayer will be most effective for larger areas with multiple plants. The sprayer can be attached to a garden hose or used independently. There are several types of garden sprayers including the hibachi, which sprays seeds from a handheld unit; the garden compactor, which use a pressurized tank to blast plants from the bottom up; and the garden sweeper, which utilize suction to vacuum plants from tall grass.