Gardening is truly a labor of love: when done well, it can yield great rewards, but you don’t do it for the harvest. People garden to add beauty to their yard, or maybe to have a few fresh herbs and tomatoes at their doorstep. The most beautiful thing about maintaining a garden though, is creating something by yourself. With just seeds, soil, sunlight, and water, you can grow fruits, flowers, and more in your backyard.
You don’t need fancy tools for a beautiful lawn and garden, but some tools definitely save you a lot of time and effort. Below is a list of tools to help you keep your lawn looking flawless!
LEAF BLOWER
The first tool on this list is a leaf blower. With fall in full swing, dried leaves are all over the place. Depending on the size of your yard, driveway, and/or sidewalk, clearing up the leaves weekly can become quite an arduous task. If your property is large enough to have a lawn, it is probably large enough to need a leaf blower, too, especially if you have trees on your property or nearby.
If you have enough helping hands, or maybe a property without too many trees nearby, a leaf blower is not a necessity. If you have a rake for the grass and an outdoor broom for your sidewalk and driveway, that will work too. Simply rake and sweep the leaves, then place them in a large brown yard-waste bag. Alternatively, you can place brown leaves in a compost bin. If you have never composted before, read this article to learn how you can compost on a budget in your own backyard.
If you decide to use a leaf blower, use on dry leaves only. Wet leaves are too heavy and will make you and your leaf blower work much harder than necessary. Blowing wet leaves could also overwork and damage your leaf blower. You can use a leaf blower on your driveway, sidewalk, or grass. Leaf blowers work the best on flat surfaces like concrete or gravel. All this means is that you should not expect to pick up every single leaf when you use a leaf blower on your lawn. Clearing your yard of leaves requires patience, but there is no need to be too meticulous.
If you are looking for a leaf blower on a budget, read our guide. It’s not the sturdiest leaf blower, but it has good reviews and will serve for most of your yard needs.Â
Rather than a leaf blower, some people opt for an outdoor vacuum. This can be a good option for some, but a vacuum is slightly less versatile than a leaf blower. Outdoor vacuums can get heavy pretty fast, and you have to constantly unload the bag. If you are deciding whether to get a leaf blower of a leaf vacuum, definitely start with the leaf blower.
RAKES / SHOVELS / BROOMS
Maybe you have already invested in these, and surely you have used each one before. Everyone who has a lawn should invest in a sturdy metal shovel, a good rake or two (metal will last longer), and a push broom. These tools can help you plant small plants or trees and can help keep your lawn looking nice and tidy. These tools tend to not be very expensive, and you can find them at most home goods stores.
LAWN MOWER
This one should be obvious, but if you have a lawn, you should invest in a lawnmower. Some people hire professionals to mow the lawn, and maybe that’s what you have done in the past. If you are moving into a place with a yard or are deciding to do some of the lawn care on your own after hiring others for years to take care of it for you, then maybe you have not yet invested in a good lawnmower.
There are a couple different factors to consider when buying a lawnmower for yourself. First, whether or not you want a lawnmower with a grass clippings bag. If you get a mower without the bag, then you will have to rake up the grass clippings yourself. However, if you get a mower without a bag, it is less heavy and easier to push.
Second, you will have to choose between a gas and electric lawnmower. Figure out which will be easier for you to buy and store.
Next, if your lawn has a large incline, it might be better not to buy a push mower. It will also be essential to consider the weight of the mower because if the hill that you live on is particularly steep, it will be hard to push a heavy mower.
These are just some basic tips on choosing the right lawnmower. If you are buying a lawnmower for the first time, it would be a good idea to walk into your local tool shop so you can speak to a sales rep. Doing this, you can describe your needs and they can hopefully direct you to a lawnmower that will work for you. Alternatively, you can borrow a neighbor’s mower to try it out and decide what types of things you like or don’t like in a lawnmower.
Mowing the lawn is hard work, no doubt about it. If you would like to put more effort into your lawn, but also don’t want to put in tons of hours mowing, you can consider a robot lawnmower. At the prices, it is probably better to hire someone to mow, but they are cool gadgets if you can afford them.
SHEARS
If you have trees and bushes in your yard, shears are a must. A good pair of shears will allow you to trim and prune your plants with ease.
Pruning shears are also great for pesky weeds. Occasionally in my yard, we get weeds that grow practically as thick as a bush. Of course, they only get so big when we go too long without trimming them back. But once weeds are thick enough, they are nearly impossible to pull out with your hands. Sometimes weeds have stickers on them too, so they hurt if you try to pull them with your hands. That’s where pruning shears come in. Snip weeds as close to the root as possible. Use a shovel to dig out as much as you can. Always trim back weeds so that they do not become unmanageable.
GARDEN GLOVES
Good garden gloves are an absolute must for working on your garden or taking care of your lawn. Garden gloves will protect your hands from bug bites, small thorns, moisture, and things like poison ivy – though I would not spend too much time weeding ivy, even if you have gloves on, but more on that another time!
Different types of gloves have slightly different uses. For instance, you will want thicker gloves with a good grip when you are weeding so that you don’t get poked by thorns and have an easier time pulling the weeds. When you are planting flowers, for instance, you will want thinner gloves so that you can delicately plant the flowers without damaging them. Still, you can use the same gloves for different purposes, and you can start with a cheap “all purpose” glove. I find that most garden gloves tend to rip with enough use, so I would not recommend spending too much money on a pair of gloves.
START WORKING ON YOUR LAWN TODAY!
Now that you know a little bit more about the best tools for your yard, you can get started today on some yard work. Taking care of your own lawn and garden is so rewarding and is a great hobby to have too. Yard work can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be painful! Taking care of your yard is an excellent exercise, and when you have a vision for how you want your yard to look, it can be so rewarding to see this vision come to life!