When it comes to gardening tools, there are plenty that don’t look good, last or live up to your expectations. To save you time and money, we asked the industry’s top gardeners to reveal their favourites – the very best of the best tools and accessories they would recommend that continually outperform the rest, and which they simply couldn’t live without.
These are the must-have, high-quality items loved and lusted after by gardeners everywhere.
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The best secateurs
Jenny ‘Niff’ Barnes, a professional gardener best known for training roses into intricate art forms, has stuck by the same pair of secateurs for 15 years. She says, “My trusty Felcos are like an extension of my arm, my most-used garden tool; I feel strangely lost without them.
“I was given a pair of No. 2s on the first day of my gardening apprenticeship and 15 years later, they’re still the only pair of secateurs I own. They are reminiscent of Trigger’s broom [from TV show Only Fools and Horses], in having had several new blades, cogs and catches, but they're beautifully worn to fit my hand perfectly. I couldn't be without them.”
Buy Felco No.2 from Zoro (£59.99) and B&Q (£64.99)
The only watering can you’ll ever need
“You can buy a plastic watering can for a few pounds, it’s true, and it will do the basic job,” says Gardens Illustrated editor Stephanie Mahon, “but I got tired of the sprinkler heads, called roses, on the end falling apart or having too harsh a flow for young plants. And truthfully, I wasn’t a fan of how they looked either, standing out a mile in the garden in bright red or that weird green that people think sinks into the background in a garden but actually does not.” She admits she became slightly obsessed with the galvanised steel watering cans used on many heritage properties that seemed to have lasted decades, and was told that the Haws brand was reliable.
“My family laughed at me when I told them I wanted a watering can that cost nearly £200, but I was determined to get the Haws Warley Fall HDG Two Gallon Galvanised watering can, so I could leave it outside all year without worrying about it rusting or degrading. One thing I have learned from all my years in garden editing is that its best to pay for quality in this space, and that often that higher price is a sign of craftsmanship and care, and something that will last a very long time. I still absolutely love it and have never regretted spending so much on such an important piece of kit.”
Buy a Haws Warley Fall watering can (£115-£227)
The best boots
Thanks to their classic styling, handy slip-on design and tough durability for gardening tasks, Blundstone boots have become a gardeners’ favourite. They’re part of the uniform for anyone who works or volunteers at Great Dixter in East Sussex, and their versatile look means you’ll often spot them in town as well as in the countryside.
The brand was first launched in Tasmania back in 1870, and has a focus on sustainability, using recycled materials and avoiding fossil fuels and harsh chemicals.
Buy Blundstones from Toast (from £180) and find discounted options at Love The Sales
The only tool with a cult following
Like many people, Gardens Illustrated’s commissioning content editor Veronica Peerless became a hori hori convert within a few hours of getting it home: “Now it’s a tool that I do not want to share. It makes weeding and planting out seedlings a cinch, and the sharp sides and point of the carbon-steel blade mean that it can slice through heavy clay soil with ease.”
Its convenient shape makes it ideal for a range of tasks, as Veronica explains: “The blade is long (17cm) and wider than a traditional weeding tool (4cm), so it is excellent for removing weeds with long tap roots. It’s also perfect for manoeuvring into tight spots, including containers, or in between plants. Come autumn, I’ll be using it to plant spring bulbs in pots. I also feel super speedy and efficient, like a gardening ninja.”
Buy the hori hori from Niwaki (£39)
The expert’s everything tool
For Derry Watkins, who runs Special Plants Nursery just outside of Bath, carbon blade scissors are the most convenient tool to have nearby. She says, “I can’t bear to waste time looking for a tool, so I do almost all my gardening with carbon steel florist’s scissors. They are strong and sharp (carbon steel takes a better edge than stainless steel and can be sharpened up again).”
They’re also surprisingly versatile. “With the points together, my scissors root out dandelions, tease out seedlings to be replanted or extricate weeds from between gnarled roots. Holding them flat to the ground and scuffling them back and forth, you can use them as a mini hoe. They will cut almost anything a pair of secateurs would, up to about 5mm.”
Buy the Sentei Garden Scissors from Niwaki (£32)
The must-have jacket
An unlikely gardening staple, the blue chore jacket has become a firm favourite among head gardeners, and is often sported by gardening icon Monty Don during his various public and television appearances. We’ve also spotted this ubiquitous outerwear on Great Dixter's Fergus Garrett; Millie Souter, head gardener at Tom Stuart-Smith's Plant Library; and Sissinghurst's Troy Scott Smith.
Not only is this style a classic choice, it’s also practical for outdoor tasks, with large pockets, thick fabric and dark colour, so dirt doesn’t easily show.
Find our favourite blue chore jackets at Toast (£235), Niwaki (£299) and Carrier Company (£140)
The head gardener’s hand rake
Mat Reese, head gardener at Malverleys Gardens in Hampshire, loves his bamboo hand rake. He explains, “It is incredibly useful for tidying in the flower garden. Its light frame allows the gardener to deftly work between plants to sift out debris without disturbing the soil.”
Mat bought his hand rake from Buzzgarden (from £12.50), but you can also buy the Niwaki version from Niwaki (£12) or Crocus (£12.99).
The best gardening gloves
Award-winning garden and landscape designer Rae Wilkinson loves Showa gardening gloves. “There are plenty of gloves out there but Showa’s 370B or Floreo 370 gloves have been my absolute favourite for a long time. They are lightweight enough to let you feel the plants and tools through them and flexible enough for comfort, yet protect you from scrapes, scratches, stings and prolonged contact with soil and moisture.
“Plus, they fit easily in a pocket, last for ages and can even be washed – and there are plenty of colour options, which for those who prioritise colour is a plus!”
Buy Showa 370 gloves from Thompson & Morgan (£8.98) and Crocus (£8.99)
The best garden knife
Gardener, author and TV presenter Carol Klein revealed her fondness for Tina pruning knives to editor Stephanie recently on the Talking Gardens podcast. “I've got two Tina's, which are wonderful – I'm well-armed,” she says. “And I've also got another, which I adore, which has a handle made of pear wood. It's just so beautiful, and it's so good for taking cuttings.”
Buy Tina knives from PG Horticulture (from £104.65)
The best garden ladder
Whether it is for cleaning out gutters, hedge cutting or tree pruning, at some point we all need a ladder in the garden. But they can be difficult to store without a large shed, and come with safety concerns, especially if you are working alone. Originally used for tasks like fruit picking, tripod ladders have grown in popularity in recent years thanks to their versatility and stability.
“As I have a sloping garden, trimming the hedges is a real challenge, but a tripod ladder made it really easy,” says GI Editor Stephanie Mahon. “I borrowed one once and loved it so much I bought my own. It is aluminium, so light enough for me to carry around and move easily on my own; and I can leave it outside all year without worrying about it getting ruined. We pretty much use it for everything now, including washing the windows.”
Browse Henchman tripod ladders at B&Q (from £299)
The best socks
Katy Merrington, cultural gardener at the Hepworth Wakefield gallery in West Yorkshire, has a particular soft spot for Finisterre socks. As someone who is out year-round in all weathers, she feels it is important to have warm, dry feet and this is worth investing in. “You need a good pair of socks and I buy mine from Finisterre. They put them in the sale every so often; you can get three for the price of two.
“They last a long time, they’re quite woolly and thick, so they're good if you're wearing steel-toe boots. It does what it says on the tin, keeps your toes warm and they're good and breathable.”
Buy socks from Finisterre (from £15)
The best folding pruning saw
There are several leading pruning saw brands, but Matt Pottage, former curator of RHS Wisley and now head of horticulture and landscape strategy at London’s Royal Parks, says he always turns to Silky.
“I couldn’t be without my Silky folding pruning saw. I was introduced to them when I was training at RHS Garden Wisley as a student some 14 years ago, and immediately bought one. There is nothing more satisfying than making an accurate, clean, good-quality pruning cut, and I find this is the answer.
“I use them for all manner of pruning, such as shrub pruning, dead-wooding and lifting the lower branches of trees. Their shape and style mean you can get into the smallest of places, while still doing a great job, and the blade can lock into a second position that almost bends back on itself for the most awkward of spaces.”
As for longevity, he reveals, “The blade tends to last me around a year and then it can easily be replaced. To date, I’ve never bent or snapped the blade, which can happen with some pruning saws – a sure sign of quality.”
Browse Silky folding pruning saws at Crocus (from £37.99)
