Gardening Style Dictates Types of Tools You Need

What tools you really need depends on what type gardener you are.

The Meticulous Type

--Go for expensive tools: If you are the sort who takes care of them, they will last forever.

--You’ll love the precision of a wheeled seeder.

--Invest in a compost bin: You’ll hate the appearance of an unruly pile in a corner.

The Slob Who Loses Things

--Go for tools coated with marine enamel or solid construction, such as cast aluminum; these will survive in the soil for years.

--Go for big tools--garden forks, spades, hoes: They don’t get lost so easily. Buy cheap on the assumption they’ll get lost, or buy expensive on the theory that they need to be the best to endure the treatment they’ll get in your garden.

Avoid rototillers, which can get damaged hitting metal tools buried under the mulch. In fact, avoid any mechanical devices: They all need special care.

The Gadget Freak

--Make sure you have a large garage or a spacious shed. There’s something out there for virtually every function, and the gizmos will quickly fill every nook and cranny.

--Invest in a chipper-shredder: You’re the sort who will use it regularly.

--Let someone else tend the garden: You’ll be spending a lot of time tinkering with undersized electric and oversized gas-powered engines.

The Gardening Purist

--Avoid all mechanical devices with the possible exception of chipper-shredders. You don’t need anything but a good fork, a hoe and a spade to get your garden growing.

--Buy good tools: You’ll really appreciate them.

--Get a compost pile going, with or without a manufactured bin.