I HATE to mention it, but Christmas is approaching fast. If you are looking for ideas of things to ask Santa for, this could be the ideal time to review your arsenal of gardening hand-tools, since trowels, hand-forks and the like make useful but relatively inexpensive presents.
It's surprising how few hand-tools the average gardener really needs, though when I emptied out my gardening bag this morning I found that there were several I couldn't possibly do without.
My most frequently used tools are secateurs. I have had the same pair of Felco secateurs for the last 20 years now (apart from a period of six months which they spent languishing in the compost heap!).
Felcos are expensive around £40 a pair now- but they do last almost forever (when I found my secateurs in the compost, I simply soaked them in oil for a week, gave them a good scrub with a wire brush, a quick sharpen and they were almost as good as new!).
Recently I have acquired a smaller pair of secateurs, made by a company called Bahco; to my surprise (I am a bit of a Felco snob) I like them very much and find myself using for them frequently for deadheading and smaller pruning jobs.
Hand-forks and trowels seem to have come down in price quite a bit recently.
You can now buy wooden handled, stainless steel forks and trowels for around £10 or £12, so there isn't any excuse to buy those cheap, plastic handled, steel bladed tools.
Wood is more comfortable to hold, warmer and easier to grip; stainless steel cuts through the soil easily, comes away cleanly and wipes down easily at the end of the day.
There's a pruning knife in my bag, though these days it's more often used for cutting string than taking cuttings.
Anyway, a good gardener should always have a knife about their person (except when travelling on an aeroplane, when it will be confiscated, as I know from a recent experience with Easyjet!).
Many professional gardeners are proficient at sharpening knife and secateur blades with a portable whetstone.
I'm not, so my bag contains a small chainsaw file that I use to keep a sharp edge on my tools.
It doesn't look as flashy as real sharpening stone but it's easier, and just as effective.
If I have a lot of weeding to do, I carry a pointy weeding tool as well as my hand-fork.
I don't know the correct name for it, but the thin, angled blade is excellent for hoiking out buttercups and dandelions, especially in small gaps in paving or between closely planted bedding.
Last, but definitely not least, is my pruning saw.
There are lots of these on the market and they are invaluable for cutting both small branches that secateurs can't cope with and large branches in congested shrubs where a bow saw won't fit.
You can't usually sharpen these small, toothed saws, so look for a model that comes with spare blades.
Mine is Japanese, from a company called Silky, who make dozens of different shaped and sized saws - the best I have ever come across. l Next week, the bigger tools in my shed JOBS FOR THIS WEEK...
Cut down on the watering and feeding of conservatory plants now that light levels and outside temperatures are lower. Conversely, indoor houseplants may need extra water if the central heating is turned up.
Lift and pot up border chrysanthemums that you want to save for next year. Over-wintered in a cool greenhouse, they will provide plenty of cutting material when they start to grow in spring.
Look carefully at any larger or mature trees in your garden once the leaves have fallen.
Are there any dead or diseased branches that will need removing this winter?
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