Use the right tool for the job" was the motto of my father, the woodworking hobbyist.
My mother, however, used the same cast-iron skillet to cook just about every meal.
I am their daughter, the gardener, and I don't think you can have too many garden tools, even if you find yourself using your garden knife for just about every job.
Since this is the time of year to take stock of garden hardware and draw up a spring shopping list, let me offer my list of essential garden tools.
Every gardener has a trowel and a pair of pruners. What follows are items that make the garden's toughest jobs easier.
* A garden cart. I recommend the Rubbermaid Roughneck lawn cart, which is available through Ace Hardware for about $100. Made of plastic, it is lighter and easier to maneuver than a wheelbarrow, and it can carry tools and a cold drink as well as soil, mulch or plant material. Perfect for spring cleanup, it can haul 4 cubic feet of debris out of the garden. Biggest advantage? Its hard plastic wheels never go flat.
* A mulch fork. It's like a pitchfork, but there are more tines and they are closer together. It is ideal for lifting mulch or compost into the garden, saving your back from all that bending. Ames makes one that costs about $40 and is available at many hardware stores. (I like to use a small broom to spread the mulch around the plants. That's a back-saver, too.)
* A perennial shovel. Otherwise known as a transplant spade, it has a long handle, like a shovel, but a small, sometimes-narrow head, allowing you to move your perennials without doing damage to their neighbors. Also, a square-headed shovel is essential for giving beds a fresh, sharp edge every spring. Each costs about $25 to $30 from various sources.
* Gardening knife. Also known as a "soil knife" or a "Hori Hori knife," it can be used for everything from opening bags and cutting twine to weeding and opening a small hole for planting. These knives usually have a straight edge and a serrated edge, and some models are marked at 1-inch intervals for measuring soil depth for planting. A.M. Leonard sells a very basic knife with a red handle, so it is easy to find in the garden, and a leather sheath for about $29 at amleo.com.
