There are all the usual tools that gardeners love, of course. A great pair of pruners, a couple of shovels, and a sturdy trowel are in most garden sheds or garage shelves. But there are other gadgets and gear that home landscapers will find extremely useful, dare I say essential, for tending their gardens. Here are some of my favorites:
Spray Away Motion Activated Sprinkler Havahart 5266 Spray Away Motion Activated Sprinkler Animal Repellent 2.0
This is one of the best ways to solve animal problems. Cats using your veggie garden for their litter box? Crows going for your almost-ripe tomatoes? Bunnies or deer eating your perennials? Neighbors helping themselves to your blueberries? Here is a solution. You hook this up to your garden hose and when it senses motion it will let loose with a sudden blast of water. Just be sure to remember that it’s on duty…I’ve been drenched when I go out to pick a few veggies for dinner only to have forgotten that my Spray Away was on guard!
Black and Decker Shearing Tool Black & Decker GSL35 3.6-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Compact Grass Shear/Shrub Trimmer Combo
I find this re-chargeable trimmer to be useful not only for those shrubs that need annual shearing, but for perennial bed maintenance as well. I use this tool to cut down the stalks of oxeye daisies and Nepeta when they finish flowering, cleaning up Heuchera after the winter, and deadheading perennial geraniums. It’s useful for spring and fall cleanup and for cutting back Coreopsis after the first flush of flowers have faded. Once you own one of these you’ll be so pleased at the amount of time and effort it saves in with the care of small shrubs and perennials.
Wireless Deer Fence The easy way to train Bambi to stay away from your garden!
When my tulips peek up in the spring I know it’s time to take out my Wireless Deer Fence posts, put in fresh batteries and scent tubes and get them into the garden. The scent tube lures the deer (who are there to eat those tulips) in and the metal prongs on the top deliver a shock from the batteries below. Because of the deer’s flight response, they run away and don’t come back! Every time I see some deer grazing I put one of these in the area and the damage stops. I’ve found these to be extremely effective and I’ve had listeners to my radio show call and say, “Thank you for telling us about Wireless Deer Fence…I ordered some and I’ve seen my Hosta leaves for the first time in years!”
The Big Bill Visor from Walker’s Hat Shop
We all have to take sun protection seriously, and I love how the big bill visors from Walker’s puts my entire face into shadow. You can order them in the color you like best, and the most appropriate size of visor. Since they fasten with Velcro, not elastic, they fit every size head comfortably.
CobraHead Weeder Tool CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator
When I go into the garden for general maintenance I always have the CobraHead with me. It’s a fast tool for weeding and because it’s light weight my hands and arms don’t get as tired as they do when using a trowel. This tool also gets into small spaces and rocky soils much more easily, making it versatile in all my beds and situations. It’s also perfect for digging small holes for planting six-pack annuals, and it’s made in the USA.
Lightweight Weed & Refuse Bin Fiskars 30 Gallon Kangaroo Gardening Bag (9405)
When I’m working in the garden there are many times when I don’t want to push a wheelbarrow or garden cart with me, but I know I’ll have weeds and other plant refuse that needs collecting. This bin is light weight and holds a lot, so it’s the perfect for all garden maintenance. It also folds flat for storage.
Flexzilla Garden Hose Legacy HFZG550YW Flexzilla 5/8 X 50 Zilla Green Garden Hose with 3/4 GHT Ends
We all know how annoying most garden hoses are. They kink, they’re heavy, and when cold they are so stiff that you have to fight to get them uncoiled. If you can relate, you must try Flexzilla! It is soft, lightweight, and easy to coil. I love this hose and am aiming toward the day when this is the only garden hose on Poison Ivy Acres. Once you try Flexzilla you’ll wonder why every hose isn’t this easy to use.