Expert Gardening Advice:

Matthew Wilson - Choosing the Right Tools

"We all know the saying 'a bad workman always blames his tools', but I guess it's easy to forget the other side of the coin – just how helpful the right tool, for the right job, can be.

I speak with some authority on this matter, being the kind of bloke who will often slip off a shoe to knock in a picture hook rather than rummage around in my tool kit to find the hammer that I just know is lurking somewhere in the bottom. 

But fortunately this lackadaisical behaviour doesn't extend to gardening tools. 

At least not any more...

 
The most important thing to look for in a garden tool is suitability for use. 

It doesn't matter how shiny and attractive something is, if it doesn't do the job it's designed to do it isn't much use. 

As well as being the right tool for the job it's equally important that it is comfortable to use. 

This is essential for professional gardeners, for whom a spade, fork or trowel is like a second skin and in constant use, but it is no less important for the domestic gardener, where an uncomfortable tool, used infrequently, can lead to strains and sprains.

And as important as both of these is longevity. I really resent buying stuff that then breaks after just a few uses. I try and apply this thinking to most of the purchases I make in life and by and large I end up with good quality kit that lasts a long time, so that even if it costs a little more to begin with I soon get my moneys worth – although I am often derided for my rather Imelda Marcos like attraction to nice tools…

I have some of my grandfather's and father's gardening and carpentry tools, and they are so well made it is easy to see why they are still fit for purpose today. So when Harrod Horticultural asked me to 'road test' some of their range of Sneeboer tools I was immediately struck by how the quality of manufacture was as good as, or even better than some of my 'inherited' tools.

My introduction to the range was via the large spade and garden fork. The heads of these tools are forged from stainless steel, making them supremely strong but also almost completely impervious to rust, and the ash handles are beautifully tactile, light yet robust – and after a few years of use develop a lovely smooth patina.

But my instant reaction to both tools, having spent years bent over and straining with 'conventional' garden tools, was one of utter revelation – for the first time ever I could dig all day without risk of ending up at the osteopath.

The simple reason for this is that Sneeboer make their tools with long handles, not solely for the benefit of six-foot-two blokes like me – I lent my Garden Fork to my 5 foot nothing colleague Nikki and still haven't got it back (which reminds me, my mum pinched my spade the last time I went to help in her garden!)

These longer handles alleviate pressure on the spine and create a lot more digging power by creating a longer lever to work with. The garden and digging forks are cleverly designed with flattened tines, rather than rounded or square, which help to turn the soil more effectively.

It didn't take me long to realise that these tools are modern day classics, and I've gone on to try other examples of the range with equal enthusiasm. The Heart-Shaped Trowel (shown above) is a fabulous bit of kit, with a keen edge that is great for weeding and planting. And being heart shaped it makes a lovely gift for the gardener in your life, as does
its newer stable mate, the
Whole Hearted Trowel.


The Hand Rake is great for clearing up in and around plants, and I find it especially good for raking out diseased leaves from underneath roses, and the Long Handled Half Moon Hoe means I can weed my borders with ease without stepping on the soil.

Sneeboer have realised that there are numerous old tool designs that existed for perfectly good reasons; they did the job for which they were designed and did it better than anything else. 

I really enjoy using the Long Handled Bulb Planter and the Dandelion Spade – a great tool, especially if, like me, you'd rather not use chemicals to keep the dandelions from your lawn. 

The Long Handled Fork and Mattock (shown below) is a tool I'm looking forward to trialling and I'm sure it will become a firm favourite, combining two hard working tools that are the perfect combination for clearing rough ground
and breaking up hard, compacted soil.