Five Must-Haves for the Beginner Gardener

So, you’ve been considering starting a new hobby, and gardening is on your radar. If you’ve got any outdoor space, gardening can be a great way not only to make it beautiful but for its practical benefits as well. Wow your friends with your fantastic cucumber plants, make homemade strawberry jam for Christmas presents, and grow a garden that becomes the envy of your whole street.

If you’re going to start gardening, here are five must-have items to get you going.

1. Storage

Firstly you’re going to need an equipment storage building to house all your tools. Choosing a portable storage option will give you versatility and allow you to throw it up wherever suits you. You can get them in varying sizes and even multi-purpose them to store additional equipment like lawnmowers. It’s much more inexpensive to purchase a temporary structure than to invest in a permanent structure. Building a garage or large shed will require zoning permits, excavation, and materials. On top of that, you’ll likely need to pay for labor for the construction of the structure.

2. Hose or water source

Plants need water to grow properly. Especially if you live somewhere that gets quite hot in the summer, you’ll need to consider how you’ll ensure they get enough to drink. For smaller beds, a garden hose with a spray nozzle should do the trick. If you have a large garden or spend a lot of time away, you might want to invest in the form of self-watering systems, such as drip tape. Of course, you can always opt for the good old watering can. You’ll want to plan your landscape design so that your hose can reach all the relevant areas.

3. Hoe

If you’re going to invest in one main piece of equipment for your gardening venture, it should be a hoe. There are many to choose from, but a basic hoe will do you the trick to get started. Gardening can be hard on the back, especially in you’re on your hands and knees all the time. A hoe allows you to deal with pesky weeds without needing to bend down. Hoes are great for cutting and pulling weeds out by the roots with precision that helps avoid damage to your plants.

4. Hand spade

Another tool that is “handy” is a hand spade. A hand spade is essential for planting your seeds or small plants at the beginning of the season. Now, this may require you to get low to plant your seeds accurately and do so in an organized fashion. Beyond that, a hand spade is excellent for accurately transplanting large plants without causing damage to the roots. If you decide you want to reshape your garden, you can move plants around easily by extracting them with the spade.

5. Wheelbarrow

A wheelbarrow will make your life as a gardener much easier. There’s a lot of materials and equipment that you will need to handle when you’re gardening, and the weight can add up. If you’re moving around topsoil, mulch, or compost, a wheelbarrow will make it easy. The design also allows you to dump large quantities of substance out, and then you can use a rake or hoe to spread. It’s also helpful for garden waste, as putting it in a bin will make it hard to move once it’s full.