Starting your gardening journey? With the right tools, even small tasks become easier and more enjoyable. Here’s a list of must-haves for beginner gardeners with some of the best-rated models you can get right now:
Gardening Gloves
Protect your hands from thorns, blisters, chemicals, and insect bites.
Top Pick (Women):
Bionic ReliefGrip Gardening Gloves – Comfortable, cushioned, ergonomic.
Top Pick (Men):
Firm Grip General Purpose Gloves – Durable and padded for tougher tasks.
Hand Trowel
Perfect for digging small holes, transplanting, and mixing soil.
Top Pick: Fiskars Ergo Trowel – Lightweight, rust-resistant, ergonomic handle.
- GARDENING ESSENTIAL: Heavy duty, ergonomic hand trowel ideal for a variety of gardening tasks like digging in tough soil…
- MAXIMUM POWER AND PRECISION: Cast-aluminum head boosts power for digging in tough soil and enhances rust resistance; Erg…
- LONG-LASTING AND RELIABLE: Polished aluminum head stays sharp through heavy use and provides excellent durability for la…
Hand Rake / Cultivator
Ideal for loosening soil, removing debris, and aerating beds.
Top Pick: Corona CT 3040I ComfortGEL Hand Rake – Easy grip, sturdy steel tines.
- Tapered Tines Move Through the Soil Easily
- Ergonomically-Designed Grip Improves Comfort
- From the Brand: Corona
Pruning Shears
For trimming flowers, herbs, and thin branches.
Top Pick: Felco F-2 Classic Pruners – Swiss-made, high precision, long-lasting.
Fiskars Steel Bypass Pruners – Great budget option for beginners.
Watering Can or Adjustable Hose Nozzle
Stay consistent with your watering routine.
Top Picks: Bloem Easy Pour Watering Can (2.6 Gal) – Easy to carry and pour.
- Holds 2.6 gallons = 333 oz.
- Easy dual handle design with one hinged handle for easy pouring, movability and eases stress on your wrists
- 2-in-1 Adjustable water spout rotates to offer a light shower or heavy stream depending on the needs of the plant. Spout…
Hori-Hori Knife (Garden Knife)
A multi-purpose tool for digging, cutting roots, and weeding.
Top Pick: Nisaku NJP650 Japanese Hori Hori Knife – Stainless steel, with depth markings.
- QUALITY: Made in Japan with the finest stainless steel.
- EASY MEASUREMENT: Inch markings on the blade will ensure your plants and bulbs are planted at just the right depth.
- MULTI-USE: Both serrated and straight edge blades, and is a fantastic gardening, landscaping, and camping tool.
Weeder Tool
Effortlessly remove weeds without harming nearby plants.
Top Pick: Grampa’s Weeder with Long Handle – Easy on the back, great for tight spots.
- Classic, Easy-To-Use Design Since 1913 – The same simple design, now built entirely from steel for unmatched durability….
- Effortless Weeding, Back & Knee Friendly – Grampa’s 45″ Stand-Up Steel Long Handle lets you pull weeds without bending, …
- Engineered to Last a Lifetime – Grampa’s Metal Weeder is built to remove weeds and their roots for generations. Made fro…
Garden Shovel
Essential for digging, lifting soil, and planting larger plants.
Top Pick: Fiskars Steel D-Handle Garden Spade – Strong, sharp, comfortable grip.
- GARDENING ESSENTIAL: Heavy duty, ergonomic shovel ideal for a variety of gardening tasks like cutting through turf and g…
- MAXIMUM POWER AND PRECISION: Welded, all-steel construction boosts power for digging in tough soil and enhances rust res…
- LONG-LASTING AND RELIABLE: Steel head and blade stay sharp through heavy use and provide excellent durability for lastin…
Garden Rake
Smooth out soil, spread mulch, or clean up leaves.
Top Pick: TRG Groundskeeper II Rake – Lightweight but strong with a fiberglass handle.
- EASY TO USE – The round and stiff hardened steel tines of the GroundsKeeper work differently than the flat, flexible tin…
- VERSATILE – Gets the job done! Excels at raking leaves, mulch, pine straw, sticks, acorns, gravel, animal bedding and mo…
- DURABLE – Extremely lightweight and durable, the GroundsKeeper II features a no break co-polymer head, fiberglass handle…
Garden Bucket or Basket
Carry tools, clippings, soil, or your harvest easily.
Top Pick: Bucket Boss Garden Tool Organizer with Bucket – Organize and carry everything in one go.
- Bucket Boss – The Bucketeer Bucket Tool Organizer In Brown, 10030
- Three Interior Loops For Hammers, Drills, Pry Bars, And Other Long-Handled Tools
- Fits Most 5 Gallon Buckets
Pro Tip from Roots and Review:
Start with the essentials, invest in quality where it counts (like gloves and pruners), and upgrade as your garden grows. Quality tools save you time, energy, and frustration.
