The most essential gardening tools for a beautiful backyard (part 1)

Did you know that 35 percent of U.S. households grow food either at home or in a community garden? Now more than ever, people are getting into gardening and yard work.

Creating a beautiful backyard and garden takes effort, but having the right tools for the job makes it easier.

If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve compiled a list of useful gardening tools and their uses. So keep reading to discover which essential gardening tools you need to create your backyard oasis.

Trowel

A trowel is a handheld tool similar to a small shovel. It has a sharp pointed tip and a scoop blade.

You use trowels to break up the soil, scoop soil, dig small holes, and add fertilizer.  Because of its versatility, a quality trowel should top your garden tools list.

A good trowel should have a sharp enough edge to cut through grass, tough soil, and roots. It should also have a sturdy handle that’s easy to grip and comfortable to hold.

Leaf Rake or Leaf Blower

If you live in an area with deciduous trees in or around your yard, you need to invest in a quality rake or leaf blower.

Leaf rakes rake up dead leaves and small debris like twigs. A good leaf rake should have tines to collect leaves and grass clippings. It needs to be sturdy as well so you can sweep up twigs and small debris.

If you hate cleaning debris out of your rake, you might want to invest in a leaf blower instead. A leaf blower might save you time and effort, but it can create noise pollution. Before buying a leaf blower, make sure your city doesn’t have any noise limit laws.

Did you know that dead leaves can benefit the garden? Moving leaves from your yard to your garden creates food for earthworms. Earthworm castings help improve the quality of your garden soil.