When a tool enables a new, faster, simpler approach to solving a problem, working in the garden feels more like play. The products we have chosen represent old and new, standbys and innovations, manual and high-tech designs. What brings them together is the appreciation of the gardeners who have used them.
1. SOLO BACKPACK SPRAYER. This tool bridges the divide between the home gardener and the professional landscaper. All you need to be convinced is to spend an afternoon carrying a too-heavy handheld sprayer in one hand, repeatedly stopping to pump up the pressure and refilling often. You want to have one for herbicides and another for all other pesticides. PRICE: $100 1-800-543-8955 INFO: www.amleo.com;
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| Photos By Anna Mazurek |
2. BARNEL ADJUSTABLE RAKE. This is not the rake you need for the big fall cleanup. But it is the tool of choice to reach gently between your perennials or vegetables without decimating living foliage the way a wide rake or blower can. This little rake can be your best friend for less than $15.
INFO: www.oescoinc.com; 1-800-634-5557
3. ACTION HOE. Use this hoe's stirrup-like blade to cut through the soil just under the surface, severing weeds and loosening the soil. Sharpened on both sides, the blade cuts going and coming, increasing your efficiency.
PRICE: $18.99 INFO: www.amleo.com; 1-800-543-8955
4. RADIUS TRANSPLANTER. We liked Radius tools so much that we have two on our list. The circular handle of the transplanter and others in the midsize tool line are like a pair of shoes—broken in and fitting just right. They're tough too; the company says the shafts are unbreakable. Other blade options include a spade, shovel, digging and border forks, weeder, edger and bulb planter.
PRICE: $36.95 INFO: www.yardiac.com; 1-866-927-3422
5. FELCO PRUNER. Rather than one tool, it is a line of tools with pruners to fit large and small hands, left and right hands, and even hands needing a comfort grip. The blades can be sharpened or replaced, as can the gear and spring. Lifelong garden companions.
PRICE: varies (none is cheap) INFO: www.felcostore.com
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| Photos By Anna Mazurek |
6. EZ DIGGER. This weeder/planter has a marvelous shape that works like a trowel to open a hole, but then you can also push soil around the transplant without ever putting it down. The blade will remind you of a moldboard plow, only a lot smaller.
PRICE: $12.99 INFO: www.amleo.com; 1-800-543-8955
7. COBRAHEAD. Another weeder/planter, this one gets its name from the shape of the blade. The arc in the heat-treated steel does not give up. And the flattened tip is excellent for clawing out stubborn weeds.
PRICE: $24.95 INFO: www.cobrahead.com
8. A.M. LEONARD SOIL KNIFE. This gardener's knife has a concave surface to the blade that enables it to be used like a trowel. In addition, the taper enables you to draw furrows for seeding, remove weeds between bricks, and dig in gravel. The serrated edge will cut roots up to an inch thick.
PRICE: $15.99 INFO: www.amleo.com; 1-800-543-8955
9. RADIUS TROWELL. You'll find after using the second Radius product on our list that it's not only more comfortable, but its shape focuses all your energy on the blade. PRICE: $12.99, or in a four-pack with weeder, bulb trowel and cultivator for $49.99 INFO: www.acehardwareoutlet.com; 1-800-985-6017