My Favorite New Garden Tools of 2017

– Posted in: Things I Love, Tools and Equipment
13 comments

It’s Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, but since I only have one amaryllis blooming, I thought I’d tell you about a few new tools I got this year that have really helped me out.(I get a small commission from anything you buy when clicking through to Amazon.)

DeWit Welldone Planting Trowel

I had pretty much given up on trowels, because they were hard to push into my clay soil. But this Welldone Planting Trowel by DeWit Tools gives my hori-hori knife a run for the money. The trowel cuts through clay and sod like buttah and feels more comfortable in my hand than the knife. And if you’re trying to dig a hole for a small plant–as opposed to weeding–the trowel is much better at scooping dirt than the knife. Just to be clear, I am talking about the Welldone trowel and not the forged trowel. I don’t have any experience with that one, and they do look pretty similar.

Radius Garden Root Slayer Shovel

I had some garden chores that I was really dreading this fall. They involved planting bulbs and trees in uncultivated parts of our property, such as planting six dozen camassia in the damp meadow and over three hundred daffodils along the roadside ditch. I bought the Root Slayer Shovel hoping it would help, and boy, did it ever! It cuts through sod and small roots and heavy clay as easily as a normal shovel digs in a cultivated garden. If you’ve got a tough digging job, this is the tool you want.


Those are my two new favorites. I wrote about other tools I love last year, and even more things I love here [click].

About that amaryllis

This year I brought all my amaryllis and “Christmas” cacti outside for the summer. The supposed Christmas cacti all had buds on them when I brought them in near the end of October, as did the ‘Cherry Nymph’ amaryllis, which bloomed in November for me.

sweet nymph amaryllis

A week or so ago, ‘Sweet Nymph’ send up a flower stalk, and is now blooming.

sweet nymph amaryllis

I think the next two buds will bloom in time for Christmas.

Fancy that! Somehow I got an amaryllis to rebloom for Christmas.

You may remember I first planted these amaryllis back in 2014. They were sample plants from Longfield Gardens, which still sells them. White Flower Farm offered them, but are sold out. You can also check them out at Amazon.


sweet nymph

I hope you enjoy this holiday season, however you celebrate it.

Inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year,” Carol of May Dreams Gardens started Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers from all over the world publish what is currently blooming in their gardens. Check it out at May Dreams Gardens.

About the Author

Kathy Purdy is a colchicum evangelist, converting unsuspecting gardeners into colchicophiles. She gardens in rural upstate NY, which used to be USDA Hardiness Zone 4 but is now Zone 5. Kathy’s been writing since 4th grade, gardening since high school, and blogging since 2002. Find her on Instagram as kopurdy.

In its own way, frost may be one of the most beautiful things to happen in your garden all year . . . Don’t miss it. Like all true beauty, it is fleeting. It will grace your garden for but a short while this morning. . . . For this moment, embrace frost as the beautiful gift that it is.

~Philip Harnden in A Gardener’s Guide to Frost: Outwit the Weather and Extend the Spring and Fall Seasons

Comments on this entry are closed.

RJ December 16, 2017, 6:51 pm

The amaryllis looks great, I never trim the roots and they are going on 14 years.
The root slayer is incredible, my daughter got me one for a gift.

Anna Kullgren December 16, 2017, 10:32 am

I usually put my Amaryllis outside during the summer, and did this spring too – except this year, I didn’t do a very good job caring for them. They languished in too much shade, and did not get enough water. They are now back inside, and slowly starting to sprout, but the green I see are leaves – not flower buds. For me, they usually revert to their natural schedule, and bloom in spring, after a summer outside. April to be exact. Fingers crossed these tormented ones from a summer of neglect come back!

Kathy Purdy December 16, 2017, 10:35 am

Yes, they often bloom indoors for me the same time as the crocuses bloom outdoors.

Gail December 15, 2017, 4:19 pm

Nice to know there’s a trowel that that cut through our heavy clays (here in Nashville). The amaryllis is a beauty!

Kathy Purdy December 15, 2017, 7:47 pm

It has a really sharp edge!

commonweeder December 15, 2017, 12:03 pm

Your amaryllis is beautiful. I also managed to get my three amaryllis bulbs out in the garden for the summer, brought them in, trimmed their roots and replanted them. One of them is sending out shoots, but nothing much seems to be happening with the other two even though the bulbs seem firm and healthy. I will practice patience. Happy GBBD and happy holidays.

Kathy Purdy December 15, 2017, 7:46 pm

I didn’t mess with the roots. I just left them in their containers all summer and then brought them inside. I repotted the one that bloomed shortly after I brought it in after it had finished flowering.

Peg Cook December 15, 2017, 10:13 am

LOVE the color of the Amaryllis Blooms you have this year. CONGRATULATIONS on getting one to re-bloom!! Do you ever have any problems with spider mites when you bring them in from outside?

Kathy Purdy December 15, 2017, 10:29 am

Peg, this is the first year I summered them outside, so all I can tell you is I haven’t had trouble with spider mites–yet.

Carol December 15, 2017, 9:21 am

I love to see pictures of blooming plants indoors and snow outdoors. Thanks for sharing for bloom day.

Dee A Nash December 15, 2017, 9:07 am

Just lovely Kathy! Happy Christmas and Bloom Day too!~~Dee

Lea @ Lea's Menagerie December 15, 2017, 8:43 am

Beautiful amaryllis!
I have not had any luck getting them to bloom again
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!

Lisa at Greenbow December 15, 2017, 6:04 am

This amaryllis is a beauty. Happy GBBD.