5 tools that can make caring for your garden much easier

5 tools that can make caring for your garden much easier

Your garden may offer you solace and space in the sunshine, which can be vital as the summer rolls on through, but it’s an area that can require a lot of care. There are a lot of gardening tasks that you should never skip, and tackling of all of them can be a real chore. However, there are tools out there that can make caring for your garden much more effectively, saving you time and energy.

Robotic lawnmowers

Robotic lawnmowers are a revolutionary tool in garden maintenance. These autonomous devices are designed to mow your lawn without any manual intervention. Equipped with sensors and programmed routes, they navigate through the garden, cutting grass consistently and efficiently. The major advantage of robotic lawnmowers is the time they save. Instead of spending hours pushing a traditional mower, you can set the robotic mower to operate on a schedule, even when you’re not home. This continuous mowing keeps the lawn well-maintained and healthy, as frequent mowing encourages denser growth and reduces weed proliferation.

Automated irrigation systems

Automated irrigation systems are another game-changer for garden maintenance. These systems can be programmed to water your plants at optimal times, ensuring they receive the right amount of moisture without the need for manual watering. This is especially beneficial in large gardens or during hot summer months when plants require frequent watering. Automated systems often include features such as soil moisture sensors and weather forecasts, adjusting watering schedules based on real-time data. This precision not only saves water but also promotes healthier plant growth by preventing both over- and under-watering.

Leaf blowers

Leaf blowers significantly reduce the labour involved in clearing leaves, debris and grass clippings from your garden. Compared to raking, a cordless blower is much faster and requires less physical effort, making garden clean-up a breeze. They are especially useful in the autumn, when leaves can quickly cover your lawn and garden beds. By keeping the garden clear of debris, leaf blowers help maintain a neat appearance and prevent the build-up of material that can harbour pests and diseases.

Weed torches

Weed torches offer an efficient and eco-friendly solution to weed control. These tools use propane to produce a high-temperature flame that quickly kills weeds by disrupting their cell structure. Unlike chemical herbicides, weed torches do not leave harmful residues in the soil and can be used in organic gardening. They are particularly effective for targeting weeds in hard-to-reach areas, such as between paving stones or along garden edges.

Garden sensors

Garden sensors are sophisticated devices that monitor various environmental factors such as soil moisture, temperature, light levels and humidity. These sensors provide real-time data to a connected app or system, enabling gardeners to make informed decisions about watering, fertilising and other maintenance tasks. By using garden sensors, you can ensure that plants receive the right conditions for optimal growth without the guesswork. This technology reduces the risk of plant stress caused by over- or under-watering and helps optimise resource use.

Your time in the garden can be better spent actually enjoying it. Hopefully, the suggestions above help you do that.

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Price Points: Gardening gloves with claws

Gardening gloves with claws

I can’t wait to get stuck into gardening again soon. The long, wet winter seems to have gone on forever!

I don’t know about you, but I go through outdoor gloves in a matter of months because I use them instead of a trowel or garden fork. Gaping holes appear in the fingertips, which renders them almost useless.

I’ve just discovered that you can get gardening gloves with claws. Yes, they look like props from a horror movie or leftovers from last year’s trick or treating costume – but they’re just what I need!

I’m immediately drawn to the (most expensive) purple ones because it’s my favourite colour. However, I think I’ll get a pair of the (mid-range) black ones. They’re waterproof and come up far further on the arms than the other two… and I’m known to dig some very deep holes!

  1. Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws: £6.92, Newchic
  2. Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws: £13.20, Feishdek-UK
  3. Garden gloves with claws both hands: £32.95, fruugo

shop gardening gloves with claws

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Garden gloves with claws both hands
Garden gloves with claws both hands
£32.95
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
£13.20
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
£6.92
Garden gloves with claws both hands
Garden gloves with claws both hands
£32.95
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
£13.20
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
£6.92
Garden gloves with claws both hands
Garden gloves with claws both hands
£32.95
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
£13.20
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
£6.92
Garden gloves with claws both hands
Garden gloves with claws both hands
£32.95
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
£13.20
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
£6.92
Garden gloves with claws both hands
Garden gloves with claws both hands
£32.95
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
Waterproof PVC garden gloves with plastic claws
£13.20
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
Practical green garden gloves with 4 claws
£6.92

Price Points: Garden hoses

Garden hoses

It’s that time of year when everything in the garden is beginning to re-emerge after its winter slumber. New seeds are germinating, there are buds on shrubs and naked trees are showing signs of coming back into leaf.

The recent dry spell reminded us that all this spring growth is thirsty work. We were out every evening with watering cans, to-ing & fro-ing from the outside tap to all our potted plants. This is a time when garden hoses really come into their own. They make watering the garden a much easier task.

We’ve compared three different garden hoses, all of an equal length – 50 metres. It means that it will cover the distance from the tap, halfway around our cottage and up some steps to the vegetable plot where some of our most dehydration-prone plants reside.

The Hozelock hose would be my first choice, simply because of the range of fittings and accessories the company also manufactures. I’d be guaranteed that they’ll fit the hose with ease and without any leakage.

  1. Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m: £24.00, Wickes
  2. Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m: £27.95, eBay
  3. Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m: £45.00, B&Q

shop garden hoses

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
£45.00
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
£27.95
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
£24.oo
Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
£45.00
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
£27.95
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
£24.oo
Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
£45.00
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
£27.95
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
£24.oo
Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
£45.00
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
£27.95
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
£24.oo
Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
Hozelock Ultramax hose pipe, 50m
£45.00
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
Green reinforced outdoor hose, 50m
£27.95
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
Wickes heavy duty garden hose pipe, 50m
£24.oo

Price Points: Garden trugs

Garden trugs

We’ve been spending much more time in the garden over the last few weeks. The perennial plants are beginning to send out shoots, and we’ve been digging up and relocating shrubs to better positions.

We could do with a couple of garden trugs to help carry out some of the jobs we’ve been doing. They can carry gloves, tools and packets of seeds and then, come summer and autumn, they can be used to carry deadheaded flowers and harvested fruit & veg.

The one I would ultimately choose is the mid-range Sussex trug; it’s the traditional type, made from bent birch ply, and is of generous proportions.

I do, however, love the Niwaki example. Made of stitched leather, it will just get better looking with age and use. The £249 price tag is a bit steep though.

  1. Gardener’s harvest basket: £35.98, Uncommon Goods
  2. Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren: £78.00, NOTHS
  3. The Niwaki trug: £249.00, Niwaki

shop garden trugs

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

The Niwaki trug
The Niwaki trug
£249.00
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
£78.00
Gardener’s harvest basket
Gardener’s harvest basket
£35.98
The Niwaki trug
The Niwaki trug
£249.00
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
£78.00
Gardener’s harvest basket
Gardener’s harvest basket
£35.98
The Niwaki trug
The Niwaki trug
£249.00
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
£78.00
Gardener’s harvest basket
Gardener’s harvest basket
£35.98
The Niwaki trug
The Niwaki trug
£249.00
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
£78.00
Gardener’s harvest basket
Gardener’s harvest basket
£35.98
The Niwaki trug
The Niwaki trug
£249.00
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
Lidney Sussex Trug by Rowen & Wren
£78.00
Gardener’s harvest basket
Gardener’s harvest basket
£35.98