Tools of the Trade – The Art of Landscaping
Tools are important to any artist who is aiming to create a work of art. A painter needs his canvass and paintbrush, and a blacksmith needs a hammer and anvil. In the same way, any landscaper (or enthusiastic amateur aiming to beautify his garden or lawn) needs important tools to be able to make a beautiful lawn. For any landscaper who is serious in his calling, he will need the following tools.
SHOVEL – The shovel is the basic tool in any landscaping job. In order to mold the soil, dig holes to plant flowers and trees in, or to remove rocks and debris from your garden, the shovel is your best friend. Whether it is the shovel (large one) for bigger jobs, such as loosening a large patch of soil or clearing away debris, or a small shovel for digging around planted materials, cleaning away small rocks or any other more refining jobs around the garden, make sure never to attempt any landscaping without it!
WHEELBARROW – If there is salt and pepper, and bacon and eggs, then you can be sure that the perfect landscaping tool partner is the shovel and the wheelbarrow. Use a wheelbarrow to be able to transport tools and planting materials faster and easier around your garden.
CUTTERS/PRUNERS – This wide range of sharp tools (shears, saws, mowers, clippers, etc) is perfect for trimming, pruning and cutting away unwanted plant parts from your garden. They allow for a cleaner look to your garden, and even help plants grow quicker and healthier because they cut away parts that are diseased, dead or not blooming. Usually trimmers and shears are used for smaller jobs, while saws and clippers are used for larger ones.
RAKES – For cleaning up plant debris (loose and dead leaves, uprooted weeds, etc), the rake is your best bet. Not only is it clean and quiet, it allows for easy storage. It can also help in spreading mulch around flowerbeds and vegetable patches. However, the best use for rakes is to allow a person to collect a leaf pile big enough to jump in!
WATERING IMPLEMENTS – If you have a small garden, then it is more practical to use a watering can. You will be able to control the amount and flow of the water that you will be using. However, for larger gardens, you will want to use a watering hose to be able to reach all of the plants with less effort and hassle.
LAWN SEEDERS – While not a very essential tool, it can help you if you want to plant a lot of seeds at one time. The lawn seeder can help save a lot of time and effort when putting in planting materials.
So for those who want to embark on a landscaping project, make sure that you have at least the first five tools mentioned above to make all your moving, digging, cutting and watering work easier. If you have these five tools, you will be able to make your dream garden a reality in no time!
