While you don’t necessarily need a green thumb to do basic landscaping around your house, there are a few tools that are essential for working smarter on DIY projects in your yard.
This is probably the first tool that pops into mind when the subject is lawn care. Like everything else, shovels have evolved throughout the ages, and come in a host of shapes and sizes for different functionalities.
The best shovel for DIY landscaping and gardening is one with a pointed blade (ideal for digging holes) and a fiberglass handle to ensure longevity and durability.
Like the shovel, rakes now come in a myriad of sizes and shapes, and are engineered to perform in a variety of settings. For example, the bow rake is ideal for leveling dirt and sand; a thatch rake is designed for removing the layer of dead material between the living green vegetation and the soil; and a shrub rake is built smaller in size to allow for access to tight areas of your yard.
For general landscaping duties, we recommend the leaf rake for its long handle and tines that fan out. As for the types of tines, metal provides the most resiliency. Plastic tines are good for moving large amounts of leaves. While they are easier on the plants, bamboo tines are more fragile than the others.
Pruning can really make your lawn pop. It can also ruin your lawn’s appearance if done the wrong way. We recommend having hand shears (for close cuts on live branches) and lopper shears (with long handles that are suited for trimming back overgrown shrubbery and healthy trees.
If you’re working in the garden or yard, you’re going to need gloves. They’re essential for protecting your hands from cuts and blisters. Before buying, try them on for comfort and make sure their made of either leather, cowhide or grain leather.
Nothing is better for hauling dirt and other stuff around your yard than this trusted friend. Wheelbarrows are great for handling material (dirt, weeds or gravel) that will be dumped out. Garden carts can handle larger loads but can be a bit more challenging to maneuver, especially on rough surfaces.
There are, of course, a host of other tools that can fall into the category of must-haves; these are merely the basics. We’d love to talk with you and share ideas of what we think will work best for your lawn. Call Juniper Landscape Company today so that we can begin working together!