The Necessary Supplies

In the next few weeks I will be stocking up (or digging out) the supplies I will be needing for the upcoming gardening season. The purpose of this blog is not to talk you into going out and buying all of these supplies; instead, it is to show you the kinds of tools I use and you can make the decision yourself whether or not you would like to have it for your own garden.

Gloves
Some gardeners swear by them and others have never used them. I am of the former group. I wear gloves to do just about every gardening task as I don’t like painful blisters and splinters. I also like to keep my hands fairly clean in case I feel like munching on some fresh veggies in between hoeing weeds.

I have worked with Watson Gloves to put all of the great things I loved about the various pairs of gloves into one really great glove.

For the guys, I’ve made it simple (we tend to be that way): leather.

 

For the ladies, however, there are options: mesh and leather. I truly do love these Mark’s Choice gloves; they’re all I use in the garden.

 

 

Garden Scoop
Ah, the garden scoop. I use the garden scoop for just about anything that needs to be scooped efficiently: vermiculite, triple mix, potting soil, compost, sand, grass seed…you get where I’m going.

The scoop is deeper than your average trowel which means I have to make less trips from the bag to the bucket when I’m transferring material.

The Mulching Fork
I use A LOT of mulch on my property. All of the pathways that wind through my gardens are cedar mulch: it smells great and it does a fantastic job suppressing the weeds. When the mulch gets to my house, it is dumped by a truck. Same spot every year. Once the truck leaves, it is my job to get it to where it goes (not all mine – of course, there are helpers). Either way, that mulch isn’t going anywhere fast without the use of a mulching fork.

The widely spaced tines are able to push through the mulch where a shovel would quickly fail. You see, mulch is a dense cross-hatching of chipped wood pieces. Good luck moving it around with any speed without a mulching fork in your hands!

The Planting Stick
If you’re like me, you keep your seed packs for a few years until all of the seeds have been used. Good on us for not being wasteful. The problem, however, is that the information on the package tends to get worn away.

I also use the planting stick to keep my rows straight when I want them to be that way. It’s a handy, multi-purpose tool that I always keep close by.

Grow Tunnel Row Cover
I have my own permanent cold frames that sit next to the barn. I use them to start spinach and a variety of lettuces early in the spring so I can enjoy fresh veggies earlier. Some veggies, however, don’t enjoy being moved after planting (carrots, for example). The row cover allows me to plant these veggies directly in the ground and I can move it around if I need to.

The frames are also multi-purpose: the plastic can be replaced with a mesh to keep out unwanted pests at the early stages of growth. Flea beetles on my radishes come to mind…

To Each Their Own
No doubt, you will have your tools out soon enough. Maybe these will be on the list, maybe they won’t; every gardener is different. Just remember, keep them clean, sharp, and organized. Good tools will last a long time if you take care of them.

Spring is here – let the gardening season begin!