14 Essential Gardening Tools for the Garden of Your Dreams

Gardening can be an extremely rewarding pastime. It’s excellent for not just your physical health, but your mental health as well. What’s more soothing than cultivating a sense of peace and security while growing nourishing food from scratch? However, while gardening can be a great form of exercise, it can also be hard on your body if you don’t have the right garden planting tools. 

Whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for a gift, we’ve got the ultimate gardening guide for all experience levels — whether you’ve got a green thumb or not. Beginners and pros alike will reap the benefits of these essential gardening tools. 

14 Essential Gardening Tools

When it comes to gardening, there are the must-have basics and the good-to-have items that can make your gardening life a little bit easier. Here are fourteen gardening essentials, starting with basic and beginner gardening tools. Read ‘til the end for some advanced tools you may not have considered before!

The Ultimate Beginner’s Gardening Set

If you’re starting from scratch, this gardening set has all the essential gardening tools for beginners, including: a pruner, weeder, hand rake, three-pronged cultivator, transplanter trowel, and protective gloves. It also comes with a stool that can hold up to 200 pounds, and lowers to function as a knee cushion. This stool/knee cushion combo has side pockets to store the tools and gloves as well. 

Watering Can

Chances are you already had this must-have item on your list. A watering can is one of those basic gardening tools for beginners that’s actually quite fun to shop for, especially when the options are as cute as this sunshine yellow one! If you’re working with a small garden — perhaps on a patio, apartment balcony, or even indoors — there’s no need to purchase a fancy watering hose or multi-gallon water can. This bright and fun option holds one gallon of water and has two ergonomic handles for easy watering.

Self-Watering Planter Boxes

The ideal garden tools for beginners require minimal effort, like these self watering planter boxes. They keep your plants hydrated — even if you forget to water them! And if you’re away for the weekend, your beloved plants will still get the water they need. It’s easy to keep track of the water available with the transparent window at the bottom of the boxes. This set of three self-watering planter boxes fits in an indoor or outdoor windowsill, with a sturdy construction for a stylishly minimalist design. They’re perfect if you want a small, manageable herb garden in your kitchen or a few flowers in your office for a pop of color.  

Waterproof Seed Labels

Never lose track of which seeds you planted (and where) with these plastic waterproof seed labels. Write the name of the plant with a permanent marker on the label and stick it in the ground next to the plant. With enough space for the name of the plant as well as room for additional details, you can quickly and easily keep track of watering schedules. Simply write how often each plant should be watered next to the name, and you’ll be able to manage your garden at a glance. These are a must-have for larger gardens or those growing vegetables at home!

Gardener’s Nail Brush

No gardening gloves? No problem. This is a popular item in the hot summer months, when gardening gets a little too hot and sweaty. The strong bristles on this wooden nail brush will get even the most stubborn dirt out from under your nails. Did we mention it doesn’t just clean your fingernails? The Tampico fiber bristles also gently exfoliate your skin. Win-win! It can be used to clean dirt off a planter pot, too. At four and half inches, it easily fits into a pocket apron pouch for quick cleaning on the go. Win-win-win! 

Waterproof Garden Work Shoes

There’s nothing worse than wet socks when trying to do outdoor work. Lightweight with a rubber sole, these waterproof clogs have a breathable insole and arch support. These garden work shoes come in both men’s and women’s sizes. Plus, they’re slip-resistant, so they come in handy in the kitchen, too. Keep them on as you take your harvested garden veggies into the kitchen to wash them. Extra perk: these shoes are super easy to clean!

Tomato Garden Stakes 

Tomatoes are an easy and beginner-friendly option to get you hooked on gardening. But tomatoes need supportive structures to encourage them to grow upward, and not take over the rest of your garden by sprawling out all over the place. A tomato garden stake does just that. Not interested in growing tomatoes? These handy structures can also be used for any climbing plant, like roses or ivy. No tools required for assembly. Just keep an eye out for squirrels with sticky fingers – they love to eat tomatoes, too!

Fruit Picking Harvest Apron

Aprons don’t have to be restricted to the kitchen! An apron specifically designed for picking fruit is one of those items that’ll prove itself to be an essential gardening tool when it’s time to harvest! Simply strap the apron around your waist, and as you pick fruits, vegetables, and even flowers, you can easily store them in this pouch. Minimize strain on your back by reducing the need to bend over to put items in a basket with this handy apron. Alternatively, you can store gardening hand tools (like a trowel or gloves) when you’re not using them. If you have trees or bushes that need trimming, this is an excellent option.

Kwik Edge Maintenance Hoe

A garden requires more than just planting and harvesting: keeping it tidy and manicured is part of the job, too. After all, proper care and maintenance are the key to a healthy and thriving garden. If you’ve got grass or weeds creeping into your garden bed, this hoe will make it easy to maintain clean garden bed edges. This gardening tool targets grassroots while grooming the soil, keeping your backyard garden pristine and garden party ready!

How to Cheat at Gardening and Yard Work by Jeff Bredenberg

The right gardening tools aren’t the only essential items for gardening success. Books are tools for the mind, so get educated before getting your hands dirty. Learn how to save time and effort while still getting the fruitful results you want out of your garden. Even gardening pros will learn a thing or two about how to be more efficient in caring for their plants. Find out how to reduce weeds and use creativity to get the most out of what you have in your garden. Author Jeff Bredenberg reminds you that it’s okay to take a shortcut!

Solar Ultrasonic Mole Repellent 

These essential garden tools keep your garden free of pests like moles, voles, gophers, and other rodents who tend to burgle the fruits of your labor. There is no need for chemical sprays or harsh animal traps: these devices emit a sonic vibration that is inoffensive to human ears but wards off rodents. Simply insert the four stakes into the ground surrounding the garden you want to protect. It takes two weeks to take effect. After that, chipmunks, skunks, mice, even snakes, and other pests sensitive to sounds will naturally stay away from your garden. These solar-powered devices are the eco-friendly and humane solution to unwanted garden pests. Additionally, they are safe around pets and children, as well as weatherproof — fully functional even in rainy and snowy conditions.

Soil Tester for pH, Light, and Moisture

Certain more finicky plants and trees require specific pH values, light intensity, and moisture levels within the soil to thrive. This device tests it all so you know if the soil will be a good home for your desired plant, or if you need to add certain nutrients to the soil to make it suitable for planting. PH, moisture, and light change within the soil, so it’s a good idea to have this soil tester in your gardening tool belt to maximize success. First time testing your soil? Not to worry, this easy-to-use tool comes with a manual and clear instructions.

26 Piece Tool Kit for Bonsai Trees and Succulents  

Want to challenge your gardening skills and learn new techniques? Maintaining a bonsai tree or succulent garden calls for different tools than a flower, fruit, or vegetable garden. This kit includes the necessary scissors, pliers, shovels, and more to give your decorative plants the best care possible. This 26-piece tool kit is perfect if you’re really committed to the craft of decorative plants, but it also has all the tools you’ll need if starting from scratch. It includes a sturdy cloth bag for storage and transport. Each tool is designed for ergonomic comfort and will also work well for delicate indoor potted plants, such as herbs like mint or sage.

Wall-Mounted Four Tiered Hydroponic Grow Kit

No backyard, no problem! You can still grow a large, healthy garden with a hydroponics system. Hydroponics is a type of indoor gardening that is perfect for growing leafy vegetables like microgreens in an apartment. This wall-mounted, four-tiered grow kit is designed to use space efficiently for smaller rooms, but it is suitable for outdoor use as well. With a timed circulation system, net baskets, sponges, PVC pipes, this hydroponics system is able to grow a whopping 36 plants! The magic of hydroponics is that you can double your yield with no soil — all while saving water and energy. Easy assembly with planting instructions included.

Find Deals on Garden Essentials with Price.com

Price has all the tools you need to set up, maintain, and take your garden to the next level. With our one-of-a-kind access and price drop alerts on stores like Amazon, Lowe’s, and Target, we’re here to help you find the best deals online. Start shopping for the garden of your dreams today!

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