My garage is full of tools and things that can be used as tools when a need arises. I haven't collected all of this stuff myself. It's the collection of a couple of generations. When I need to do something, I just dig around until I find something that fits the purpose. Here is one small corner... the tall tool corner... ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden ) Turns out though, I use a small selection most often. Here they are. First the "tall tools." Notice I tidied up the corner in honor of your visit to my garage!? The tools I use the most. ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden ) Three favorite shovels: Large flat bottom coal shovel on the left, Small edging kind of shovel, and my pointy end shovel with the long orange handle. I bought that one myself about 10 years ago. It is a good weight for me and has some grippy stuff at the top that saves my hands. All of the others in the garage have had their points worn off from lots of use. Two favorite rakes: the one on the right is plastic and lightweight so I like it for raking leaves. I have a smaller one that I use often too, where is it? Somewhere in the untidy area.... The heavy rake to the left of the pointy shovel is another good one and I used it alot this year preparing my little patches for my veggies, blueberries and strawberries. See that thin brown pole to the right of the heavy rake? That's invaluable to me. I don't know what it is supposed to be used for but it is made of iron or some kind of metal, very heavy (20 lbs maybe?), with a tapered end. I use it to break up hard soil or pry up roots or large rocks, start holes for stakes, and tasks. Saves my back and knees and builds muscles in my arms, lifting it up and down and dropping it. My "soil mixer-upper" tool is another that I bought myself after a lot of thought. I don't buy tools often, because there is usually something that can be used... However, when I do buy something, I appreciate it a lot because it serves a specific purpose or solves a problem. soil mixer-up tool ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden ) I use this tool (the green tool in front of the coal shovel) for mixing the compost or peat into the soil, for stirring up soil that is compacted, and for loosening up weedy areas so I can easily pull out the weeds. I just jab in the tines to the depth I want (it can be really deep or really shallow) and then twist the handle. The T shaped handle gives me really good, what is the word, like "torque?" Basically, I can get a lot of force without using a lot of muscle, which is good since mine is limited, haha! This is a good tool. Next my edging tool. Edging tool, blade open (guard on) ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden ) Edging tool, blade in the ground ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden ) edging tool, blade closed ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden ) This tool is interesting. I use it for edging the sidewalk, cutting in the edges of beds, and cutting through sod when I'm removing it. That sharp-ish blade folds up for safe storage (also has a blade cover). When in use, the blade folds down and I smash it down in to the ground with my foot. Great because it uses my weight to do the work and doesn't take a lot of muscle (are you sensing a theme here?!). I hold onto the handle and use it to pull the blade up out of the ground, move it forward a bit and smash it down again. You can get going pretty fast with practice. What I do is make narrow parallel cuts with the blade and then I can pull the grass out very easily. This is a handy tool This is so long, I'm afraid it might be boring... I'll make my hand tools comments brief, then... favorite hand tools ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden ) These are pretty self explanatory... spades, and a selection of kitchen utensils put to better use in the garden, rusty old tin cutter that cuts hard stuff! The only one I want to comment on is the little mini-rake that is lying sideways above the fork, knife and spoon (not the silver one on the left). I love that tool. It's about 3 inches wide. Great for hoeing out weeds between veggies. I would like one that same width with a long handle. Not as wide as a hoe, that's too wide. If I saw something like that, I would buy it. I have a selection of old lopers and secateurs. This year, I bought this set of ratcheted ones and am I ever thrilled with them. Ratcheted loper and pruner ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden ) The larger tol can cut a branch up to 3 inches without my having to use much muscle at all! REALLY saves my hands and arms and makes me much less frustrated!! It holds the branch and then you pump the handle. It cuts a little, ratchets down, cuts a little more, ratchets down, and works its way through the branch with each pump of the handle. I trimmed back my fig trees in gosh, and hour this year as compared to an afternoon before. The small pruner works the same way on smaller branches. Really pleased with these. Well, those are my favorites. There are a few others used occasionally but these I use every time I'm out there. Gonna pack 'em up now and head out... packed up and ready to go ( photo / image / picture from daisybeans's Garden )
great post and pics daisy! i always wondered about that tall green T thingy that is supposed to loosen your soil. i also have a similar metal bar (heavy) that was put on a hoe. it gives 'heft' to my hoeing if you know what i mean. i often thought it would be good to have all tools having a heavy handle.
Wow-eee! Now, THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! Good post, you. I really enjoyed seeing all your tools and the explanations of their use. That T-handled 4-pronged thing, we call a "woeler" were and it is used to loosen the very top layer of soil It's a very handy tool and so easy to use, as you said. A woeler can come in many shapes and sizes here...some that one attatches to farm equipment. The edging tool looks very useful. I may be needing one of those if my latest "trial", turns out well. I am leaving a little stretch of grass on the distal end of the path in the new garden. So far, so goods. If I decide to keep it, I wouild want to trim the edges and make it straight and tidy. That three-pronged hand woeler comes with a long handle here. it is good to reach out into a plot so that one doesn't have to walk on the soft ground. You have a nice selection of rakes and spades and shovels as well. The racheted lopper is something that I am not familiar with. It sounds like a well-thought out tool. Cutting through a thick limb is "in stages" is ideal and what I have to do with my "plain-ole" lopper. It reduces the stress on the tool and therefore lessens the liklihood that one would break or bend the tool. How tidy to carry your tools around with you when you are working in the garden. I also have such a container--a wicker basket-like thing...but too bulky to carry with me. I have planted my plants too close together for that. I do not have to go rummaging through drawers and things to find them though. What are those orangy-looking flowers standing above the small tool display? It is a delight to see your displays. Hopefully others will also show theirs too. I am quite enjoying this. Thanks folks, for participating.
Wow!!Daisy that is really interesting, so many of the tools I have never seen before. I had always wanted a gardren fork ever since I started my mini farm but was unable to get one. I checked the hardware stores, garden centers and departmental stores and there were none. Some of them even thought that I am crazy to think that there is such a tool Your edging tool is real cool 8) wish they have it here ... the garden fork too!!! The "thin brown pole" thingy, my mum had something like that and it is great for making holes in tight quarters when a hoe can be used. It is also great for making small diameter holes. Hers is very heay too but is only about 24 inches long and about 2½ inches in diameter. She knows it was brought into the country by her parents or maybe grand parents when they migrated from China. Now it is nowhere to be seen after she moved house. :'(
KK, mine isn't really a gardening fork it is a Spading/Roofing Fork and is a much heavy duty fork than a regular gardening fork. Great for breaking up the black clay I have in my yard. http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Spading--Ro ... /index.htm Maybe if you asked around under that name you could find one.
Aww, KK, I hope you can find the tools you want. I could ship them to you if you can't find a place to order them from -- and then you'd be a celebrity! The company that makes the edger and the "woeler" is called "Hound-Dog." I think they are pretty good at least for how I use them. I see that they have a cultivator tool that has removable tines so you can make it narrower or wider to fit your garden rows. Has a long adjustable handle too. Pretty neat. They only sell in retailers though.... Link: http://www.hound-dog.com/products.htm The ratcheted tools are great... saves me and as you point out, Sjoerd, saves the tool too. The orange flowers are a couple of sad little marigolds that I'd forgotten to water. I really like this post too. I like seeing everyone's tools a lot!
Toni, thanks for pointing out the difference, If it is for breaking hard earth, I guess my 3 prong hoe like thingy will do for me Thanks Daisy, it is OK if I don't have them because it is more of a want than a need.
speaking of tools, what would we all do without our tool shed???! i saw this article and thought it would go nicely here... A Riot Of Gorgeous, Green And Practical Sheds From USA To UK There is an explosion of creativity going on in backyards across Europe and North America http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-g ... n=daily_nl
What a good idea to include this subject. It was nice to see the variety of sheds in that article. I couldn't do without a shed.
Ha ha Love this all. Only one thing missing I notice so far. None has my 3 pair of rubber books an gloves to do the rain dance in . Yours are all clean too. Mine arent.LOL b
Chuckle..."Guest house". Good one KK. Speaking of Guest houses-- Do you know the Melaka Town Holiday Lodge 2? It is(was) run by a very correct and capable Chinese woman who made a good impression on me. She was waiting at where the bus let us off. She had a small booklet with fotos of the Lodge and the rooms. it looked clean and she made a good impression, as I said. When one has travelled as much as I have, one learns to go on his gut feelings. I was not disappointed. it was a great place and although a small ways from the centrum of Malaka, it was what I would call "walking distance". There was a lovely Frangipani tree on the way that I walked. I always stopped to smell and sometimes placed a flower in a button hole of my shirt. I liked staying at Chinese places in Malaysia and Indonesia for a number of reasons. I often wondered about the situation between Chinese folk and Malaysians. I thought that I detected some friction, to put it gently. Aty any rate it was a nice stay there and there was quite alot to see and do. I recall walking back to the guest house one night after dark and as I walked the streets of "Chinatown", I was amazed at the hundreds, perhaps thousands of swallows that were perched on the electricity lines above the streets. I tried to make pics, but ti didn't really show their numbers well.
Here is my tool an equipment for gardening in USA. Forgot the Carriage house ( where the tools are stored) 1/cycle to cut tall grass by Hand. 2/Hand seeder , it rolls along an you stand an roll the seed in the row. Different holes for different seeds. Lawn mower, which I use to mow over 2 acres of grass here. my Rototiller to cultivate the garden makes weeding a lesser chore. my Hired Hand. Hedger for doin tops of shrubs etc. My hand tools masonry rake rake for leaves an brush pointy shovel to dig with flat shovel to edge pick for digging larger holes 4 prong for garden work mostly my hand cultivater my rubber gloves an bulb digger an hand cultivater .2 most used items out there to keep the feet dry an mudless , is my 3 tipes of rubber boots.. Nic ean dirty.LOL
