We all know, gardeners don’t live by long-handled tools alone. Here are those other garden gizmos I just couldn’t do without.

Bright Orange Delica Pocket Knife by Spyderco
The big ole thumb hole makes one-hand opening a breeze. One-hand opening is a mighty good thing when your wrestling a 50lb bag of compost with one hand, and trying to cut it open with the other. This knife is light, almost never needs sharpening, and sports a nifty clip on one side. I like the bright orange model because it’s easy to find when dropped in the dirt.

Hori Hori Knife by Bare Bones
Out of the blue, Multi use Hori Hori knives showed up and became all the gardening rage. I tried a couple of cheap ones. Disappointment (rusted blade, loose handles, etc) ensued. The Hori Hori Knife by Bare Bones is one well made tool. Its slightly concave blade makes short order of weeds and grass with: good steel; a solid handle; combo serrated/straight blade; inch markings on the blade; and (last but not least) a bottle opener because you can get really thirsty doing garden work.

Clyde’s Garden Planner
This clever little sliding tool has been around a long time. Bottom line - Clyde’s Planner helps you schedule indoor and outdoor plantings based on the last/first killing freeze dates in your area.

Hand Rake by Red Pig
The head of the rake is welded onto the shank making this a tough, high-quality tool. It measures 16 inches, handle-to-end. Cheaper hand rakes aren’t so well built. It measures 16 inches, handle-to-end. This tool great for cleaning and finishing a bed as well as reaching for the bucket you left just out of reach.

Dibber - I’ve Forgotten Where I Bought Mine
As a raised bed person, I plant “on centers” not rows. In other words, I drop seeds in holes poked in the soil. One could use a finger or a stick, but a good dibber with it’s solid handle and pointed end is so much easier for consistent hole poking.