What good would a green thumb do you if you do not have some of the very essential gardening tools to make your job go a lot smoother? Here are some basics that every good gardener should have beginning with the novice all the way up to the “professional” gardener.

Gloves – You should have a good pair of waterproof gloves that fit well. You should also find some that have long cuffs. Gardening gloves seem to be best suited to fit men so women will probably have to hunt to find a good pair.

Sun hat – You should have a hat with a wide brim equipped with a drawstring cord. This should provide adequate protection from the sun. You have to make sure that your hat will not be lifted aloft when those spring winds come.

Canvas apron – A good apron to have is one that has pockets to fit some of your tools in as well as your phone. This is good when you don’t always have a chance to put on your grubbiest clothes.

Five-gallon bucket – This comes in handy to tote your tools around with you as you make your way through the flower beds. You can always toss weeds in as you are working!

Spade – This is an important tool to have but one that can easily get misplaced or thrown out by accident. It would be a good idea to get some brightly-colored tape to wrap around the handle so it will show up against the grass.

Pruners – These are great to clip back woody stems. You will get a nice, clean cut that will minimize any injury to plant tissue.

Hand rake – This is just a little bit larger than a spade and does a great job in fluffing up mulch or in turning up very young weeds.

Tips for Gardening Tools is a post from: Gardening Guide

Different kinds of gardens require different kinds of garden tools. Hardware stores mostly cater for a wide range of tools, but there are shops that specialize in the more expensive kind of garden tool that shouts quality. Wherever you decide to shop, here are a few pointers to advise you.

Do you have small garden or a large one? A small garden will not require the same large equipment that would be of use in an extensive one. A ride-on mower is unnecessary if you only have a small strip of lawn. Another point to consider is who does most of the gardening? Some tools are too heavy for use by women.

When you buy secateurs make sure the blade always stays sharp to avoid damaging the plant. Look for models that have blades that can be sharpened or replaced, models with tension control and with sizes that best fit your hands. Secateurs usually cost around $50 – $130.

Hedge trimmers or shears are handy – but only if you have a hedge, or plan on growing one. Some hedge trimmers have curved blades to stop branches from sliding out when cut.

Forks are used for turning and aerating compost and breaking up lumps of soil. The cheaper ones are often not strong enough for heavy soil, so go for sturdiness instead of price. Forks usually cost around $30 – $100.

A shovel has a scoop blade and is best used to move around dirt and garden soil. A spade has a flat blade great for cutting edges, digging and dividing plants. The edge of a spade should be kept sharpened for clean and efficient cutting will cause the least amount of damage to plants. These are a basic garden necessity and usually cost from $30 – $50.

A pruning saw is used for pruning trees and larger shrubs, while secateurs are for plants like roses. Pruning saws have a narrow curved blade that fits between stems or branches and easily and cuts them as you pull the saw backwards. They are approximately $27- $55.

A chipping hoe is a handy tool for getting rid of small weeds. The Dutch or push-hoe is slightly more user-friendly as the action required to use it does not jar the neck and shoulder quite so much.

A rake is also a basic requirement for the garden. The strong rake with the flat head and sharp metal prongs is used for smoothing a garden bed and getting out the last of the bumps and weeds. The plastic rake is used to gather leaves and grass clippings only.

Gardening tools don’t have to be expensive. Flea markets and garage sales can be excellent places to pick up great tool bargain.

In Search of the Best Gardening Tools is a post from: Gardening Guide

Automatic lawnmowers are a gardener’s dream. Because they are automatic, this type of lawnmowers does a lot it in making the gardener’s task much easier.

They also come in different flavors making it possible for gardening enthusiasts to find one that they really like.

As mentioned earlier, automatic lawnmowers, also known as robotic mowers, make it easy to maintain a lawn. At the flick of a switch, they do their tasks quietly and efficiently.

This type of mower is ideal when one has a vacation house which the owner has no time to maintain. When vacation time comes, all he/she has to do is turn on the mower and the machine will do the rest.

Owners can then devote their time doing other tasks like enjoying their vacation right away.

Some automatic mowers operate by sensing the wired boundary set up in advance by the owner. Upon coming in contact with the wire, the mower would then change direction until the entire lawn is mowed.

Another type of automatic lawnmower is the remote-controlled variety. While this isn’t entirely a hands-free situation, it gives lawn owners much control of the direction that the mower should take.

However, most consumers are put off by the automatic mower’s price tag. The cheapest one in the market costs around $1,000.

Despite that, those who could afford this mower’s price buy it because of the great value it gives the buyer. Consumers save a lot of time and energy by investing on this kind of gardening equipment.

Automatic Lawnmowers is a post from: Gardening Guide

Here are the major reasons why one should consider getting a pair of trusty gardening gloves:

Gloves protect your hands from blisters, thorns and cuts while doing rough work like digging or pruning in the garden. Investing in one or more pairs of quality gloves is a good decision.

Here are some tips on how to choose the pair that will suit you best:

1. Look for quality leather gloves with a cloth back; this will let the gloves breathe and keep your hands dry, cool and comfortable.
2. If mud bothers you, select rubber gloves with cotton lining.
3. When spraying pesticides or chemicals choose gloves that are made from neoprene. Gloves made from latex or any type of plastic may not offer the best protection.
4. When pruning roses, use gloves that reach up to the arms.
5. If you usually operate large garden machinery, buy gloves in brown instead of red as the latter may dye your hands.
6. Light cotton or even fingerless gloves may be useful for transplanting seedlings. They will allow more dexterity and so help to prevent the tiny roots from being crushed.
7. And of course, make sure that the gloves you buy actually fit your hands. If you have small hands, try the children’s gardening section. there’s nothing worse than trying to garden is gloves that are too big.

Your gloves must be comfortable as well as give protection to best serve your gardening needs.

Healthy Hands are the Gardener’s Best Tools is a post from: Gardening Guide

The types and quality of equipment you use to take care of your plants not only have an effect on your plants’ health, but your own as well.

Defective garden tools could cause damage to your plants, but it is worse if they are so uncomfortable to use that they give you blisters or a bad back. To avoid this, look for the gardening equipment that will do the best job for your type of gardening. It must have the right amount of power to be energy efficient while also being able to do the job without causing you any more strain than necessary.

Here is a review of gardening equipment from the gardening experts themselves.

1. Garden Shredders

JCB SS2400 received five stars out of five from the gardening equipment reviewers from recommendedbuys.co.uk. It has a 2400 watt motor and comes with a silent gear crushing system. It is one promising tool to improve and hasten your shredding activity.

Ryobi ESR – 2240 Electric Shredder is an easy to assemble garden shredder suitable for prunings up to 40mm. It comes with built-in wheels and a plunger for increased portability.

2. Hedge Trimmer

Bosch AHS42-16 Electric Hedge Trimmer also received five stars out of five rating from the gardening equipment reviewers from recommendedbuys.co.uk. It has 420 watt output.

3. Cultivators

Mantis Tiller Cultivator comes with patented tines to aid in cutting smoothly through hard, compacted soil. It is perfect for preparing vegetable plots, flower beds, etc. It also helps in thatching, aerating and cleaning moss. It also comes with a free border edger.

4. Lawnmowers

Brill 78370 Luxus Push Reel Mower rated 4.5 out of 5 stars Tools-hills.com customers. It has a large top cover that protects shrubs and overhanging flowers.

American Lawnmower Deluxe Light Reel Mower 1815-16 received 4.5 stars out of 5 from Epinions.com buyers. A push-mower, it does not cause pollution, but is not suitable for tall grass.

5. Leaf Sweeper

Agri-fab 26 Push Leaf Sweeper is for smaller lawns and is available with 200 litre collector. It also comes with an infinite height adjustment feature.

Modern Gardening Equipment is a post from: Gardening Guide

Lawnmowers have been around for a long time already and they have changed from being a muscle-powered machines into fossil-fuel and electric-powered varieties.

However, despite of those changes, their primary purpose has remained practically the same, that is, to cut grass and to do it evenly. This article takes a look at the history of the humble lawnmower.

Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower in 1827. He created it to cut the grass in sports grounds and large gardens, or practically any large expanse of grassy areas. Along with John Ferrabee, Budding patented the product in 1830.

However, it took another thirty years before the Budding and Ferrabee lawnmowers were mass-marketed. By 1862, Ferrabee’s company (which acquired the license for producing the lawnmower) were selling eight models and produced some 5,000 units until the production came to a halt the following year.

While most of the lawnmowers produced during the 19th century were muscle-powered, manufacturers looked into other power sources such as horses and steam.

However, the invention of fuel-powered motors gave rise to motorized lawnmowers sometime in the mid to late 19th century to the early part of the 20th century.

Several innovations were made during the 20th century with the introduction of smaller engines which made for more compact and more fuel-efficient mowers.

Then there was the hover mower in the 1960s. This type of mower literally floated above the ground and this design enabled them to be used to cut taller grasses and even small shrubs.

Finally, there are the robotic mowers. Although they still need a little help from humans in order to operate, much of their work is automated which saves people a lot of time.

History Of Lawnmowers is a post from: Gardening Guide

Tired of the usual and boring task of mowing loans? We’ll there’s an exciting alternative to that, and it’s called lawnmower racing.

Lawnmower racing is basically just racing around a track using ride-on mowers. These mowers are the same as stock mowers expect for the blades which are removed when racing for safety purposes.

This type of racing has been around for quite some time already. It was invented in West Sussex, England, UK in 1973 by a number of young men who complained of the high costs involved in getting into motorsports.

So they formed the British Lawnmower Racing Association as an answer to their problem. The association designed their rules to be as cheap as possible, which is true to their aim of having a cost-effective form of motorsport.

Then there’s the North West Lawn Mower Racing Association which was created soon after its proponent was formed.

This sports’ popularity has since spread across the globe beginning with the United States to which the petrol-stabilizer maker Sta-bil brought in 1992.

It has become widely-accepted in the country and organizations such as the US Lawnmower Racing Association were formed there.

Aside from removing the blades, there are also some modifications made to the lawnmower to improve its performance. An example of which is changing the pulleys of the lawnmower to make it go faster.

Also, mechanical transmission is preferred by lawnmower racing enthusiasts over hydrostatic ones because the former improves the mowers speed much better than the latter.

Lawnmower Racing is a post from: Gardening Guide

If you’re looking out to buy a lawnmower to take care of your lawn or would simply want to buy one to replace your old workhorse, there are several things that you have to consider.

We have listed them down below for your quick reference.

1. Consider the size of your lawn – this is one thing you have to keep in mind when buying a mower. The size of your lawn will pretty much decide what kind of mower you’ll get for yourself.

And while there are honest salesmen out there, knowing what your specific needs are keep you from getting scammed by unscrupulous ones.

2. Human power, electricity or fuel? – it is also important to be familiar with the different types of lawnmowers according to their power needs. Human-powered ones are earth-friendly (they produce no emissions) but they are more labor-intensive.

Meanwhile, electric-powered ones also don’t produce any harmful emissions but may be more expensive. Finally, fuel-powered mowers are more common although they produce emissions that would otherwise be harmful to humans and the environment.

3. Money matters – whether you like it or not, your budget will always be a deciding factor when buying a lawnmower, or anything for that matter. So keep in mind how much you will be willing to spend before even hitting the store.

This prevents you from overspending because of impulse buying. But then again, no matter how much money you have, you are always sure to get the value out of your lawnmower. With a typical lifespan of over a decade, a mower is always a good investment.

Lawnmower Buying Guide is a post from: Gardening Guide

Lawnmowers are machines that are meant to last. Even the cheapest brands can last up to 10 years while more expensive ones can last twice as much.

However, owners need to maintain them well in order to keep the mowers running smoothly for a long time. Below are some tips on how you can take care of and maintain your mower.

1. Keep your blades sharp – sharp blades in lawnmowers are a gardeners’ delight. Not only do they cut the grass cleanly, they also keep the grass healthy because of the clean cut. Blades typically become dull after a month or two of regular use. They should therefore be taken out of the mower (making sure that it is turned off before doing anything) and filed to make them sharp again.

2. Replace or clean your air filter – motorized mowers are usually equipped with air filters. In time, they get clogged and so they should be replaced or cleaned depending on the material they are made of. In general, paper filters are meant to be thrown away while those made of foam should simply be cleaned.

3. Keep the tires well-inflated – well-inflated tires keep mowers running evenly, especially in the case of the ride-on variety. The tire pressure should therefore be checked everytime before operating the mower.

4. Use the right kind of oil – oil is needed by motorized mowers to keep the engine lubricated. The right kind of motor oil should always be bought to avoid destroying the engine.

Maintaining Your Lawnmower is a post from: Gardening Guide

Lawnmowers are usually composed of several parts, each with a particular job in making the entire machine work. This makes mowers simple and complex at the same time.

Simple because being familiar with each of them makes replacing each part easy as long as one knows what needs to be changed.

They are also complex because it takes a competent mechanic to know where a particular part goes and to service the machine.

Don’t worry though, because if you’re just an ordinary lawnmower owner, we’ve listed for you some of the basic parts of a lawnmower.

1. Blade – this is where metal meets the grass. The blade is responsible for cutting the grass and doing it neatly and evenly. Depending on the mower, it can be made of materials such as steel, aluminium and plastics.

2. Engine – if you own a motorized lawnmower, this is what keeps your blades turning. Engines used in lawnmowers are typically the single stroke types which pack enough punch for the job.

3. Handle – this is the part of the mower where you have the most control, for the human-powered ones at least. When buying this part, make sure to get that which is made of sturdy parts like stainless steel or any lighter alloy and fitted with rubber to prevent your hands from slipping.

4. Wheels – help in moving the lawnmower, especially for large ones. They can be made of different materials depending on the type and size of lawnmowers.

For example, small, push-type lawnmowers are usually equipped only with plastic wheels while larger ones like the ride-on types have steel wheels.

Parts of a Lawnmower is a post from: Gardening Guide