What’s your favorite tool? I’ve found that I can’t garden without a garden fork. It is absolutely indispensable. It goes into the ground much more easily than a spade or shovel, though a small spade is handy for digging out plants for trans-planting. Now I’ve found a hand fork is almost as indispensable. Mixing soil, digging weeks, spreading mulch – all kinds of things. My son, who works with me, finds my sharp square spade works best to dig the holes for planting shrubs. We have a lot of stony ground up here along with sand and silt.
Now, the digging and dividing of perennials, the general autumn cleanup and the planting of spring bulbs are all an act of faith. One carries on before the altar of delayed gratification, until the ground freezes and you can’t do any more other than refill the bird feeder and gaze through the window, waiting for the snow. . . . Meanwhile, it helps to think of yourself as a pear tree or a tulip. You will blossom spectacularly in the spring, but only after the required period of chilling.
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Yes, Rundy has a problem with tools breaking. Twice they have been my tools. That “upper body strength” has something to do with it, plus having a good deal of determination, and a desire to get the job done now, today, on schedule! The first time I admit it was my mistake to ask him to dig up some twenty-year old peonies when the soil was dry as dust. The root systems were huge, but impossible to pry out of the brick-like soil–impossible for anyone but Rundy, who got the job done, but bent the blade of the trenching spade he was using. Fortunately the spade was from Lee Valley, and they replaced it free of charge, no questions asked. I have always felt a bit guilty about that, because if I had soaked the soil the night before, the spade never would have bent (I think).
I agree about the garden fork. I could not garden without it. Shovels and trowels are helpful, but the work of gardening — at least for me — requires a good spading fork. I have gone through several in my garden experience.
Favored tool depends on what I’m doing. One that I use constantly in the rocky soil we have around here is the mattock. It is great for loosening up hard soil, digging holes, and ditches. However, it requires an amount of upper body strength and as such isn’t a tool everyone can use.
A big problem with me is tools breaking.
My favorite garden tool is the Korean ho-mi (this link– http://www.allsun.com.au/HoMi.html –has a picture of one; I use the standard short-handled version). I use it to weed, cultivate, dig small holes for planting, and make furrows for seeds. One of these days, I’ll get around to doing a post on it on my blog!
I’m with you, Alice! I reach for my garden fork a lot, in some cases where a stronger person would probably pick a different tool. Forks of every size accompany me on every weeding expedition. What hand fork do you favor? I am a loyal fan of this one (http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=10501&category=2%2C44245) sold by Lee Valley Tools.