Garden Tools I’ve Used for Decades (and Actually Love!)

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I spent my college years in small-town South Dakota studying horticulture and working summers at a local nursery. More than twenty years later, I’ve gardened in different places, tried more tools than I can count, and learned what’s worth keeping. A lot of them came and went, but a handful earned a permanent place and have stayed with me through the years.

Starting with the Gloves

I started using Showa Atlas 370 gloves while working at a local nursery in college. Not because I had great taste, but because it was convenient and I was easily influenced. They sold them at the nursery, and the ladies I worked with recommended them, so of course I used them too. Twenty-two years later, I am still using the same brand, not the same pair, that would be gross.

They fit well, wash easily, and are thin enough that you can really feel what you are doing. I have tried plenty of other gloves over the years, but in my experience, nothing compares.

The Auger: From a Swag Bag to the Backyard

My favorite planting tool actually started as a gift. I was on the flower judging team in college, and during a contest in Illinois, I found a bulb planter auger in my participant’s swag bag. At the time, I didn’t have much use for it, so I gave it to my parents.

When I bought my first house in Utah, about five years later, they asked if I wanted it back. I’ve been using it ever since. You attach it to a cordless drill, and it does most of the work for you. It’s marketed for bulbs, but I use it for just about everything I plant in the vegetable garden and for smaller landscape plants.

I also use it to mix soil for containers. When I’m adding compost to decorative pots, it saves a lot of effort. It’s one of those tools that is genuinely useful, and honestly, it’s just fun to use.

Maintaining the Rows with a Hula Ho

Once the plants are in, the real work is keeping the weeds from taking over. I was introduced to the hula ho (or stirrup hoe) during my nursery days, where it was perfect for quick weeding around pots without having to bend over.

These days, I use it mostly around my vegetable garden beds. After a good rain, it slices through the top layer of soil, taking weeds and roots with very little effort. It works best on young weeds; larger ones will eventually come back. For regular maintenance, though, it’s hard to beat.

The Cutting Tools: Pruners and Saws

I’ve done a lot of pruning over the years — teaching classes, maintaining my own fruit trees, and helping friends and occasional landscape clients. When people ask about my favorite gear, I almost always point them toward simple hand tools.

Bypass pruners are my go-to because the blades pass each other like a pair of scissors, making clean cuts that help plants heal faster. Corona makes my favorite pair. If a branch is too large for pruners, I skip the loppers and go straight for a hand saw. That’s a personal preference, but I’ve always found loppers a bit heavy and clumsy. A good hand saw gives me more control and a cleaner finish.

For cutting back grasses and perennials at the end of the season, I’ve been using an electric trimmer. I’ve only had it for a couple of years, but so far I’m impressed. It’s lightweight, easy to control, and make quick work of what used to feel like a long, tedious job. My kids actually enjoy using it too, which turns cleanup into more of a team effort than a chore.

The Dandelion Digger

Finally, there’s the dandelion digger. I use mine too often to bother putting it away, so it lives in a planter right by the door. It’s great for the occasional weed in the lawn, but it’s also my favorite tool for harvesting a few garlic or onion bulbs.

The versions with the slightly awkward wing-spring handle work best. They may not look as cute as the others, but it gives you a bit of leverage when popping plants out of the ground. It’s simple, dependable, and gets used almost every day.

The Takeaway

You don’t need a shed full of expensive equipment to enjoy your garden. A few reliable tools make all the difference. I’ve been using these for years because they work, and I’d love to hear about the tools you’ve loved for decades, the ones you’d never give up, or the ones that surprised you.

If you want more tips, tricks, and stories from the garden, stay in the dirt and join our mailing list. I promise to keep it useful and fun.

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Keep growing, one plant at a time!

- Candace