Some gardening tools are staple additions to any home garage or shed. Knowing what you need for each task at hand is a huge part of gardening in your backyard. So here’s a list of basic gardening tools and their uses with pictures.

”The flower that smells the sweetest is shy and lowly.” - William Wordsworth

The Basics

You’ll need to know what the purpose of each tool in your garden is for. This is because every tool is different and created for a different job. Knowing the difference in all your tools will help immensely with the gardening. So here’s a list of basic gardening tools for beginners.

  • Something to prune
  • Something to dig
  • Something to cultivate
  • Something to hack
  • Something to weed
  • Something to shape soil

Shovel

First things first: the shovel
Starting at the beginning. Source: Amazon

Might as well start at the beginning, right? A basic shovel should provide exactly what you need to get started digging in the dirt. A shovel is simply one of the most essential gardening tools. And let’s be honest, no home should be without one.

Shears

Amazon can help shear the price back a little
You'll eventually need to shear and prune. Source: Amazon

Next up is another staple for gardening tools. Sheers are one of the more used tools when it comes to individual flowers. They’re great for pruning and trimming plant life, but not great for large jobs like shearing bushes. Just another standard entry on the tools for gardening list.

Lopper

Lop those stray branches right off
Keep those hedges back. Source: Amazon

Some gardening tools names are fairly obvious. Just like the name suggests, the lopper is used to lop off twigs and branches growing out of your shrubs, bushes, and trees. These can be used to trim back your shrubbery, and generally increase the health of your branched plant life.

Cultivator

Here's another useful item for the backyard
Use a cultivator to help dig up and air out soil. Source: Amazon

Used to aerate soil, cultivators are simply dug through the ground to either help the plants grow, or to try and keep out weeds. The process is simple and has been used by horticulturalists for at least the last 20,000 years. This makes it one of the more essential gardening tools.

Hoe

Get the hoe truth before gardening
For larger projects in the backyard. Source: Amazon

When tilling and raking the land you want to plant in, a hoe usually makes that the easiest. So another one of the basic gardening tools to keep on hand is your standard garden hoe. This will make the soil nice, fertile, and organized for when you plant your crop or flowers.

Weeder

This is the smart way to work in the dirt
Weeding out the bad plants from the good ones. Source: Amazon

As the description states, a weeder is instrumental in removing weeds from your garden. Any weeds that are giving you a bit of trouble, or just won’t pull out on their own, can be taken care of with this basic gardening tool. It only takes a little bit of practice to master.

Beginner’s Set of Gardening Tools

Get a whole set and make it easy
All you need to get started in your yard. Source: Amazon

A perfect complement for anyone with a green thumb, this gardening tools kit has everything you need to get a garden up and running. With your standard trowel, cultivator, and transplanter, you can get started in your backyard or simply add to your growing collection of tools. And the items in this set can even become other types of garden tools.

Gift Set

Give the gift of land cultivation
Everything matches in color! Source: Amazon

For the budding green thumb in your life, why not encourage growth in their passion with a gardening gift set? The floral design makes for the perfect colorful arrangement that anyone with an eye for gardening can appreciate. Furthermore the gift pack contains all the basic gardening tools you need to start planting flowers right away.

Gloves!

And of course, gloves!
Also something that should be at the top of your list. Source: Amazon

Last but certainly not least, you need a set of gloves for your garden! Gloves protect your hands from bushes and thorns, as well as keep them clean. Just because you might have a green thumb doesn’t mean your thumb should literally be a different color.

Digging Gloves

Perfect for digging or pretending to be a dragon
Really use your hands and get in there good. Source: Amazon

If you want to dig in the dirt with your hands, but hate the feeling of dirt under your fingernails, then digging gloves may be the perfect choice! Keep in mind that these gloves are more for practical and delicate work, and may not prove effective against a thorn bush or two. However they do provide support for delicate work in your garden.


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