There is something in my garden tool basket that I seem to use more than any other thing besides the trowel. It didn't cost anything or come from a fancy mail-order catalog, but instead, from the kitchen drawer. A pointed, serrated dinner knife cuts twine, pops up seedlings, runs between pots and soil to get stuck plants out, cuts roots and tubers when dividing, slits open big plastic bags, little plastic bulb bags, and probably dozens of other things I can't think of right now.

Any one else have a favorite nifty not-originally-made-for-gardening implement?

I have one of those too. It is amazing what all you can do with a serrated knife, isn't it? But, I still like all the cool specialty tools you can buy!! J

I use a similar knife to divide solid masses of fleshy rooted pond plants, but you have to haul them out of the water first, or the liner gets it.

I know what you mean Terry, the species Salvia farinacea root grows like a tree trunk and my knife saws it perfectly when dividing.

What's your fav specialty tool Caro - of those that fit in a basket? I know you have an entire Home Depot of massive motored ones :-)

My favorite store bought tool is a sort of trowel, called 'The Scoop'. But it does a lot more than the standard trowel. Has any one else tried it?

Favorite tool gift for me is one that has a small shovel on one end and flips to a trowel on the other end. It's light weight but sturdy. It digs, plows, scoops, rakes, cultivates and pops weeds out. Best gardening tool I ever got and came from a friend who HATES outdoors.

My favourite trowel is one I found on a beach in Scotland. Handle is is short and painted white, blade is narrow, but it is so comfortable to use and I've never ever seen one like it. May try to take a pic tomorrow, if I remember.

I don't think I've seen one like that Gail. Sounds cool.
Here's mine Terry,,, show us yours.

The scoop part is 3" wide, but doesn't look like it at this angle.

I have the soil scoop as well Maggie it is so useful. My friend's daughter bought it as a gift from Santa Barbara. She had it in her hand luggage and was not stopped at the airport security point!

What a neat thing for her to bring you all that way. Good thing she wasn't carrying potato bricks too ;-)
Look how small the world has become. I have the same Wellies as Terry (made in Italy!), and you have received a Soil Scoop from California.

In the bigger tool dept, I have spade, shovel etc made in Japan, of the most beautiful silvery steel finish and wooden handles. But the interesting thing is, they are reproductions of classical English models.

Now I remember, I was supposed to photograph my trowel....brb. Oh no here comes the rain again...

Back and wet, but I did get the shot, so now you get to see mine, Maggie.

I would love to know how old it is, the blade as you can see is not stainless, but it is strong.

Here are my fave handtools, given to me last Xmas by someone who knows me well. It was my favorite present. The canvas bag rolls up. The tools are heavy enough to feel balanced, the handles are comfortable, and they clean up nicely (although you can't tell it from the pic, since some haven't been cleaned in a while).


This is my favorite hoe, which was very difficult to find.

Those look like a classy set Carolyn, don't find those on a beach.

About Terry's ... I'm wondering if it was a mason's trowel, rather than made for gardening? I can tell how comfortable the bulbous handle would be and the thumb grip depression is ingenious, proving that Ergonomic design was alive and well - even well before the 21st century. If you get an industrious urge, there might be a healthy market for trowels such as that. Huumm, could title it a Victorian reproduction,, us vintage fanatics would love it. Go for it Terry!

I used to go through 1 or 2 flimsy trowels a year until finding a brand made very similar to yours Caro. Those that have lasted for years in this clay soil are also of one piece construction - the others break at the handle joints. There is a line of solid metal ones without the rubber grip, that is impossible to use in cold weather (remember that?) 'cause it feels like a block of ice, even through gloves.

Now that hoe looks nifty. I have one called a French Hoe - really! Its even classified as such in a book of garden tools.

My story, too, Maggie. I didn't have a fave gardening tool until I got this set, because the blasted things continually broke. These are great, don't bend; don't break. Plus, the little case has every tool I might need (and an extra little pocket that I can slip the steak knife into), so I just grab the case and know I'll have anything I might need.

A French hoe, Maggie. You are too funny. Mine is called a Winged hoe or something like that.

Next up, my secateurs, not free this time, but worth every penny. Mine tend to get more than average use and I do push them to the limit, well my limit anyway. I had tried many cheap ones before, but none lasted. These are made by Sandvik, so are French like Maggies hoe. The handles are steel and as you can see come painted a nice bright orange so even I can find them. I don't have a problem with the cold and very rarely wear gloves, but I suppose living here you have to learn to stand it, or you would only get out for a few weeks a year.

Have you tried the infamous Felco brand Terry? If so, how do they compare?

I was tempted Maggie, but mine were half the price of Felco and look to be just as well made.

My favorite clippers are on the top right hand side of pic. Because they are ancient, I keep expecting them to fall apart, so I keep trying to find a good replacement for them. Hence the multiples, which is ok since clippers tend to evaporate in this garden ;-) from moment to moment.

Guilt inspired me to include the oil can and whet stone - I really do take of them, occassionaly.
The scissors are Japanese - great for close work like herbs and small topiary.

I don't have any good clippers. Recommendations, please!

Hey where did the pic of my secateurs go. Maggie we have a picture thief. Oh well, here they are again... I have a pair of bonsai scissors just like yours Maggie. I notice all your secateurs are the open spring type, not the coiled spring, bet you found as I did that the coiled springs clog with dirt and rust quickly.

You never posted it Terry, and I was wondering why. Must be that last birthday rearing its telling head ;-)
I have never been able to bring myself to pay for Felcos either and had been hoping to find a cheaper knockoff like you. Haven't seen any here.

Caro, what Terry said about the spring - ditto, and they soon fall apart too. Also, all of ours have 'by-pass' blades - much better than the kind that close blunt. I go for the design more than brand, as you can see in the pic. The green handle ones were a gift from Brookstone store. They came in heavy plastic, vault-like box with another pair that are about half the size. I adore the baby pair and couldn't round it up for the pic. Notice the green handle cover is already slipping off the B pair. grrrr. I'm with Terry about liking screaming orange tools. Things of nature colors tend to end up in the compost pile too easily. I can tell Terry's snips would be uncomfortable for me because of the size of the handle - I have small hands. Felco makes one sized for us shrimps, so I must try that sometime. Can't stand the thought of composting that much money tho!

I'm a Felco nut. Love my #8's, wish I had more of the smaller ones too. I found my #8 on sale in that catalogue that has a cartoon drawing on front, all black and white print, little drawings, gardening stories -- help! maggie, we talked about this catalogue a few weeks back. Anyway, my Felco's were around $10 with shipping. It was a great sale and wish I could hit it again but haven't received that catalogue in a long time. My herb and flower cutting scissors are Fiskars. I never used them in sewing so they got shifted to the garden.

Another birthday victim.
Do you mean the magazine, “Green Prints”?

I've had problems with the coiled spring type as well. Problems like the coiled spring springing free never to be found again. I "did" have a pair like yours Terry. Wonder what ever happened to them? Have been making do for the last couple of years with bolt cutters (shhh! don't tell Neal) for big branches and scissors for little stuff. Probably about time I got some proper secateurs.

Bolt cutters! The best loppers I've ever had (and there have been a few) are made by Fiskars. Cuts branches like butter. They also make a great pair of garden shears/scissors with orange handles that have a space near the screw for cutting small branches, that might be the same as Gail mentioned. But too much cutting with scissors causes blisters, right Caro? You deserve some proper choppers and I should indulge myself in some Felcos after Gail's testimony.

After seeing Gails price for the Felcos, I thought you may be interested to know they start at about £35.00 over here, that must be about $50.00.

Here are my favourite cutting tools.
Felco #5 that is just the right size for my delicate little hands and a great knife that is so useful. It is possible to send the Felcos to be serviced, they clean them up oil them and put on a new blade, the last time I had this done it was just under £5 but that was a while ago. I have had the Felcos for years and never had any problem with them, I think that they are really worth the money. So I would say to splash out on the Felcos Carolyn but don’t get them mail order make sure they are comfy in your hand before you decide which # to buy.



Burgeon and Ball makes the topiary shears. The lopers by Fiskar were another gift from my friends in SB; they are really light and incredibly strong – and yes, very dirty.

I LOVE seeing these pics! Yep - those are my Fiskars loppers Nicola. And I have the same Japanese snips too, in tiny size that are perfect for sewing, right Gail ;-) I also have the very same folding knife that if I remember right, is made in Sheffield. Mine came with a mag subscription - described as grafting knife, for splicing into bark. Mine sit on the potting shelf because I know if they go in the trug, it would be a shame for them to get all battered. They are such a fine piece of work.

I was aghast too Terry about Gail's $10 price for the Felcos! The cheapest I've ever seen offered (mail order) was $35. And you bring up another point Nicola - I have never found them in the shops around here. But our gardening sources have really expanded these last few years. Surely there is a supplier herebouts by now. Anyone seen um local yet?

You guys really have cool tools. I'm ashamed I even told you about the bolt cutters.

Don't be - I love the ingenuity - its right up there with our steak knives!

The topiary sheers look just like our sheep sheers! Not the electric ones of course.. Ours take alot of strength in your hands to use on wool for any length of time, sure hope yours are easier to use on the plants.

I thought the same as mamakane, they do look very much like sheep shears. I like the gearing on the loppers to allow you to exert more pressure. Of course Carolyn's bolt cutters are the ultimate being designed to go through high tensile steel, trimming roses should be a snip. My pruning knife is again similar to Nicolas, but like Maggies has been seldom used, I have a plastic handled one for using and the wooden handled one for impressing. J

Felcos are locally sold at Into the garden if you can stand the price. But Maggie, do you remember the catalogue I'm talking about? Seems like their sale was about this time of year too. I would love another pair at that price, something with smaller expanse.

I should have known they'd be carrying Felcos now. That shop is dangerous to a gardener's budget!

Do you mean Green Prints Magazine? It publishes great garden writings.
Maybe a supplier had offered them in an ad there?

No, I want to say Green Thumbs. Shoot, now I'll have to go through my stacks of catalogues to find one.

Maggie, oops, I brought back the long thread! Maggie, fix me, please.....

Its ok. :-)
I'd have to move too many posts to make any sense of it! Let us know if you find the $10 Felco source tho - or maybe you've just been sniffing the datura too much, heehehe

My favourite gardening tool is actually a roast meat fork. Its easier to work with than a larger garden type fork since I am so small. Easier to get those small pesky weeds out without disturbing any other plants. I also am notorious for using kitchen spoons in the garden. We need a new set of cutlery as most of the spoons are lost in the garden.

My kinda gardener

Hi, I could use some information from experienced gardeners. I have about 20 topiary balls of boxwood - and when I use hand sheers to keep them in shape - I find it hard on my hands. Are there any electric hand sheers that you know of for trimming boxwood. The balls are small, so using the big hedge trimmers may not work. Any suggestions out there. Thanks.

Hi Suz, Someone with 20 boxwood spheres is my kinda gardener! I’m wondering if a pair of electric scissors – made for dressmaking - would work for you? Might be worth a try.

Being a toolaholic, I tend to try every kind I find, resulting in lots of duplicate tools, but it seems to be the only way to find out which works best for oneself. My current favorites are pictured below. Our old wood and steel tools are so much more attractive to look at, but these new light weight, ergonomically designed Fiskers make jobs easier and go faster.

I think the small clippers in the bottom right hand corner might be a good solution for your topiary trimming.

I use them to groom the finials on my boxwood knot garden and a mini 6” tall hedge of bush germander. Because they require very little hand strength to operate, they only work well on fresh new growths and not matured woody stems, which is just fine for topiary grooming.

I am also particularly fond of the pruners, in top right hand corner, because they do the strangest thing – one of the handles comfortably twists as the blades close, greatly reducing the stress on hand joints.
And both loppers in the pic are so much less tiring than my beautiful but old heavy ones. The older these poor ol hands get, the more they are appreciate efficiency over esthetics ;-)

This thread title is opening in the wrong topic on the side bar today. So strange - I have never seen that happen before.
Maybe this new bump post will set it right.

Just received an email Father's Day promotion from one of my favorite tool suppliers. Amazing timing, because this was one of the featured items.

I'm so taken with the idea that I might give it a go. We have a reg sized electric hedge clippers that are too heavy and difficult for my liking. So much so that I always use the hand shears on the yaupons and boxwoods.
This might be just the thing I've been needing.
click here