5 Tools for Planting a Vegetable Garden

When it comes to planting a vegetable garden, I’m a lazy gardener, and also a little bit fussy. I like to have the right tools, but the right tools are not power tools. They are basic, down-to-earth, robust items which I love the feel of and which will last me for years. They are tools which allow me to experience and enjoy the outdoors without the grating squeal of a small engine, the smell of gasoline exhaust, or the need to lubricate and care for a machine. Here is my list of 5 tools essential for planting a no-dig vegetable garden.

1. A Gardening Guidebook
   The first tool I use is a book. I want told in a no-fluff, down-to-Earth way how to plant a garden. There are many, many great choices of gardening books. My recommendation is Getting Started In Permaculture: 50 Practical Projects to Build and Design Productive Gardens. Why this book? Because I want to make money off your Amazon.com shopping expedition so I can buy a Chocolate Lover’s Delight Cake… just kidding! Because it is easy to understand, inexpensive, and full of the information you’ll need to make a no-dig garden. However it won’t tell you where to place your vegetable garden or what to grow in it. For that I recommend The Edible Garden. If you’re not sure these are right for you, do check your local library before you purchase.

2. A Wheelbarrow
   There’s no getting away from it, gardening requires a certain amount of moving stuff from place to place. You’ll want a sturdy and easy to use wheelbarrow. Honestly, it’s the kind of thing you’re probably best off searching for at your local hardware store where you can try it out and get a feel for it. Or maybe, better still, buy a wheelbarrow for your kids. With any luck they’ll think it’s so much fun to use they’ll be arguing over who’s turn it is to help you! The SEYMOUR MFG CO #WB-JR Junior Wheelbarrow looks perfect for a 4-7yr old. I had a wheelbarrow when I was little and I still have fond memories of it. If your budget and enthusiasm for gardening don’t stretch to getting a wheelbarrow how about…
3. A Bucket and Spade
   Remember how much fun it was to dig in the garden or sandbox when you were a kid? You’d have got nowhere without your trusty bucket and spade. Well, adults need buckets and spades too, preferably good sturdy ones. A bucket is great for moving compost and stuff from A to B, if you don’t mind the walking exercise, and it’s great for holding weeds plucked from the garden later on once your vegetable garden is underway. I’m not fussy about the bucket I use in the garden, though I want a comfortable handle (not just a wire). I have a couple of buckets we got for DIY type stuff which are made of thick black plastic. If you want prefer to be retro, get a Galvanized Metal Water Bucket.

   When it comes to choosing a spade or shovel you really do want to be rather fussy. You don’t want to put your back out and you want something that, with luck, will last long enough to become an heirloom. My trusty spade is especially designed for women and it’s shorter and lighter-weight than regular. When I was looking around this morning to find a digging tool to recommend I came across an article recommending that you get a long-handled shovel weighing less than 4lbs. The only trouble is I’ve not been able to locate one to point you to. If you’re not a hulking guy, look for a smaller bladed shovel or spade, or one designed for women. Now, I did say this was a no dig garden, so you could get by without a spade or shovel, though they do come in handy for shoveling compost and such around. You can use your trusty bucket and…

4. A Trowel
   With your trusty trowel in-hand you’ll always be ready to plant and weed. What’s more, you can scoop up compost and such-like wonders to add to your vegetable garden before you’re ready to plant it. I’ve been through several trowels in my gardening adventures, which means I’ve developed some criteria for picking a good one. In fact I prefer a transplanter to a trowel, because they seem to be much less prone to bending out of shape. Since I’ve a tendency to lose my tools among the green and brown of the garden, it’s amazing how well camouflaged they seem, I recommend red-handled hand tools if possible. Here are a couple of options to consider: Bond 1280B 3 Piece Gardening Tool Set With Trowel, Cultivator And Transplanter and the WOLF Garten LUK Comfort Garden Trowel 2910004.
5. A Kneeling Pad
   With every passing year I become more and more grateful for my garden kneeling pad. It lets me get down low to plant and weed without provoking wear and tear on my knees. Once again, I am unable to recommend a specific product because the one I use has it’s history in the UK and dates back at least 20 years. An internet search today didn’t turn up anything I liked the look of. If you’ve got one and like it do please share the pertinent information.

Well, that seems like a lot of stuff to shop for, but hopefully you have some of these tools already. If you’re strapped for cash, consider sharing tools with a neighbor. The nice thing about hand tools is that most of them are pretty hard to mess up and they should come back in the same condition as they went out in, so people are more likely to be willing to lend them.

Do you have all of these tools? Do you have a favorite garden tool?

For more on the best spade or shovel for you, see this article by Robert Kourik.

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1. Vegetable Gardening Help
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