Best of the Best

Garden tools are our best companions in the garden.

Choosing the best garden tools for this section was a challenging task. To narrow the list down to the best 10 was like asking “what family member do you love the most”. We all have our favourites, but love them all!

The theme of this collection assembles the best tools that all gardeners must have in their garden maintenance arsenal. These tools are all manual, “powered by you” tools. They are “the right tools for the right task,” able to tackle the majority of your garden maintenance chores.

At the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and School of Horticulture we determined, through years of research and first-hand experience, the best tools to issue to our staff and students. They maintain 100 acres (40 ha) of gardens and plant collections, so their tools must be strong, reliability durable to withstand rigorous use and are comfortable to handle for long periods of time. The tools include favourites used by the landscape industry. The secateurs (small hand pruners) and loppers are also the tools of choice by the fruit and vineyard operators who prune millions of trees and vines each year. The best of the best garden tools is a compilation of the best tools as selected by the experts themselves. You also deserve the best tools to tend your own garden!

The best friend in the garden is the wheelbarrow. It is the soldier upon whose shoulders carry the burden of our toil. It is the unsung hero who literally gets all the dirty jobs, along with the trusty hoe and spade. Under appreciated, the wheelbarrow is therefore placed on the top of my list. The loppers, shears and secateurs are the finesse team of garden maintenance tools. When properly used, these tools contribute to plant health care, training, form and structure. The weeding tools are the “bouncers.” They weed out the opportunistic uninvited guests to the garden party. The spade is the support team motivator. It is the trusted tool to help you plant a future in your garden to enjoy for the seasons and years to come.