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Stroll around a big garden centre or DIY superstore in spring and you will probably be confronted by a huge range of gardening tools and equipment. You could be excused for thinking that the quantity of various kinds of gardening tools must have increased in recent years - but you in fact you would be wrong. In a text book written more than 300 years ago there is a list of well over a hundred tools for the dedicated gardener, and Victorian catalogues offered a huge selection of different sorts of hoes, forks, spades etc.

The fundamental armoury has declined, but the average cost and complexity have greatly improved. There is also a sizable quantity of different brands of each item, this means you need to choose with great care. A well known name on the handle is a safeguard, but it can also mean a higher cost. With tools you usually get what you pay for (but not always), so it is wise to avoid low-priced offers of unknown source for tools that you intend to use regularly. Stainless steel definitely looks attractive, but ordinary steel is very much cheaper and is quite satisfactory if cared for properly.

Your first job is to determine which type of tool or tools you propose to buy. Obtaining the right equipment for gardening will always make the task a lot easier. For the elderly as well as the handicapped choosing wisely is even more important, it sometimes means the difference between being able to do a task or not.

Now you know what to look for, you will require to select a suitable example from your supplier. By all means be guided by the maker's name, the shopkeeper's advice and the manufacturer's advertising campaign, but for many tools it will be necessary for you to check the item suits the user. With spades, forks, hoes, secateurs and so forth you should see that both the weight and balance are appropriate. A spade this is 'right' for a strong youth would be quite wrong for a small elderly lady or gentleman.

For the keen landscape gardener with money to spare, the most difficult task is to determine just what number of tools to buy. Underneath is a general basic list for a medium sized garden, but the exact list which would be right for you is something that only you can determine. Nonetheless, any item on the basic list below which you donot buy will undoubtedly increase the chore of gardening.

What people should buy.

Basic List:
Spade, Fork, Hoe, Rake, Trowel, Lawn Mower, Watering can. Plus, Secateurs if roses and/or shrubs are grown. Shears, if hedges are grown. Sprayer, if roses,vegetables and/or fruit is grown. Hose pipe, if the lawn is feature. Lawn edger, also for the lawn. Garden line, if vegetables are grown. Gloves, if prickly plants are grown. Wheelbarrow, if plants or manure have to be moved. Motor mower, if the lawn is over 70 sq. yards.

What people do buy.

Universal:
Spade, Fork, Rake, Trowel, Mower, Secateurs.

Common:
Hoe, Watering can, Shears, Hose pipe, Fork, Mower.

Uncommon:
Wheel barrow, Sprayer, Gardening gloves, Lawn edger, Sprinkler.

Rare:
Power tools, Roller, Cloches, Lawn spreader, Long-handled pruner.