Tools are addicting.
I keep finding I need more of these to keep up with our gardens and other grounds maintenance jobs. We keep buying more, but we don’t always get rid of the ones we already have.
But it’s not difficult to understand why.
First, companies keep introducing enticing new tools. Not all are as good as advertised, but some make gardening easier or more efficient.
Easier is important. I’m not as strong or as coordinated as I used to be, and I don’t have as much stamina. Anything that makes gardening easier is welcome.
My favorite addition to our tool collection is a Scalebeard pruning saw. We’ve had pole saws that were about 10 feet long, but this one gets to 26 feet if you use all eight pieces. This makes it very useful as we have many trees on and around our home – our own oaks and red maples as well as Norway maples that are rooted on a neighbor’s property but have branches that extend beyond ours.
The native trees that we now understand are essential to a healthy environment. But that doesn’t mean you can’t trim their branches if they create too much shade for the plants you’re growing underneath. As for the neighbor’s trees, the law allows us to remove any portion of the branches that extend across our property.
I successfully tested the Scalebeard saw a few weeks ago using six of the eight parts that reached about 20 feet. Once the ground freezes I plan to prune more.
I heard about these extra long pruning saws from another gardening club member who recommended a different brand. I leave the online shopping to my wife, Nancy, who felt that the dandruff best suited our needs. Before making a purchase, you (or your designated buyer) should do some research yourself.
In the past I’ve recommended Wilcox All-Pro trowels, which are one-piece stainless steel trowels with a plastic handle and rawhide straps. They are made in the United States and range in size from 10 to 14 inches. Nancy adopted the 12 inch version this year because she likes how she can dig straight holes in the ground to plant bulbs and uproot weeds. I still use the 14 inch version.
That year, Nancy bought a 12-inch Wilcox All-Pro Gator, perhaps because it was on sale. It’s just like the 12 inch blade but with serrated edges. This makes it easier to cut roots and stems when weeding or cutting back plants like hostas at the end of the season. One day I abused the tool and tried to pry out a rock. It has bent a bit, but it still works well.
Aside from vehicles and a small backup generator—enough to run our refrigerator, microwave, stovetop, and a few lights—we no longer own any gas-powered tools. Electric versions not only cause less pollution (in terms of emissions, noise and spilled petrol), but we also find them more reliable.
When our previous electric mower died in late summer, Nancy did some research online and bought a Sun Joe mower for less than $100. The descriptions indicated that it was designed for small, private lawns. She ordered it and figured if it went wrong we didn’t travel much.
I mowed our lawn four times in the past season. I started late partly because of No-Mow May and partly because I rarely fertilize our lawn so it grows slowly. And the new mower was wonderful! Because it’s only 14 inches wide, it takes a little longer to mow the lawn, but it also takes up less space in the garage. Except for the last mowing of the season when the lawn was covered in leaves, I was able to mow the lawn in a single charge. The mower is also light, so I can easily carry it to the basement for winter storage.
I liked it so much that when our expensive gas powered snow blower died, I bought Snow Joe, made by the same company. I’ve only used it twice so far, in two small snowstorms last year, so judging is still pending.
The next is not a new tool. Two years ago Nancy found a pair of Felco 2 pruning shears in our vegetable garden which I must have lost three years ago. I had given up using Felco secateurs because they are expensive and I kept losing them. I spent two winters renovating the buried tool and used it again this spring. The blade broke once and I replaced it and I lost a spring which I also replaced.
But the good news is that even after a busy gardening season, I still have it.
Tom Atwell is a freelance writer working in the garden in Cape Elizabeth. He can be reached at: [email protected]
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