Our favourite garden tools

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Good garden tools not only make the work easier – they make the whole experience so much more enjoyable. Because gardening can be physically demanding, it’s important to choose tools that are well made, comfortable to handle and suit the individual using them. A tool that feels perfect for one person may not be the right fit for someone else. The best tools are the ones that feel like an extension of your hand.

This is not a sponsored post – just a roundup of tools we genuinely love and use in the garden. When you’re out there every day, all day, like we are, investing in high-quality, durable tools makes all the difference.

Like so many fellow gardeners we’ve become Niwaki Hori Hori converts. It’s such a useful, versatile tool for weeding, transplanting seedlings or planting small bulbs. It easily slices through hard ground, and the long blade makes it ideal for removing weeds with taproots. Compared with a hand fork, it offers better precision and is easier to maneuver between plants, without disturbing those around them. 

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Another favourite is the ARS 300L Pointed Fruit Pruner, or snips as we call them. It’s one of those tools that quickly becomes indispensable once you start using it. Being much lighter than a regular pair of secateurs, these snips are ideal for deadheading and light pruning. The slim, pointed blade makes them perfect for getting into tight spots and precision work, and once you’ve used these everything else feels clunky. In fact, we rarely reach for our secateurs these days – only when tackling thicker stems.

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Bypass secateurs are considered the best choice for most pruning jobs because they deliver such a clean, precise cut. Felco is known for their high-quality tools, and their secateurs can last a lifetime with proper care. The garden team’s preferred choice is Felco No. 2, though the full range includes ergonomic designs suited to different hand sizes and personal preferences. Another major advantage is the ability to replace worn blades or springs, which significantly extends the tool’s working life.

Niwaki secateurs have also become very popular in recent years, and several members of our plant production team consider them their preferred choice. As with any tool, the most important thing is to choose a pair that fits your needs and feels comfortable in your hand. There are excellent options for smaller hands, a weaker grip, or left-hand users.

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Sickles can be very useful when cutting back herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses. The serrated blade copes well with relatively thick and dry stalks.

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When choosing a pruning saw, it helps to understand the different styles available. Most models cut on the backstroke, meaning the teeth bite into the wood as you pull the saw toward yourself, rather than when you push away, which makes cutting smoother and require less effort. While fixed-blade saws provide greater strength, rigidity and longer blade lengths to cut through thicker branches, folding saws are popular for their portability and for the ability to store them safely in a pocket. We find that the folding saws are enough for most of the work we do. A curved blade is especially useful when working at shoulder height or above, as their shape gives you a stronger, more efficient cutting action. Silky produces some great pruning saws. Silky Super Accel 21-7.5 is Garden ManagerMalin’s preferred choice, “It is razor-sharp, lightweight and has the perfect blade length for most pruning tasks. You have the option of locking the blade into two different angle positions for easier cutting”. Niwaki and Felco are also reputable manufacturers, known for their high-quality saws.

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ARS KR-1000 Professional Garden Shears are made from high-carbon steel and are an excellent all round choice for everyday garden work. Gardener Cathy notes that they’re remarkably lightweight and impressively sharp, to the point they’ve become her new favourite tool. “They’re ideal for trimming shrubs, tidying perennials or doing a quick chop-and-drop (when the cuttings are left on the ground to act as a mulch). The blades cut cleanly without chewing through stems and feel effortless in hand, even when tackling repetitive tasks”.

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A pair of lightweight, durable loppers is an essential part of any gardener’s toolkit. We rely on ARS LPB30 loppers for most day-to-day pruning. When branches are out of reach - and no thicker than about 30mm - we switch to Fiskars Telescopic Tree Pruners (UPX86). Anything larger than that calls for a pruning saw and ladder, or an electric pole saw.

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Miya from our plant production team says “Niwaki’s Golden Spade is my favourite tool. Working on the nursery stockbeds, I’m constantly digging up and dividing plants, and I use it all the time. It’s small size suits me perfectly - the spade comes in three different sizes (small, standard and long) - and it’s incredibly lightweight to handle while still being sturdy and strong.”

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Keeping your garden tools clean and sharp is one of those small habits that pay off in a big way. A few minutes of care at the end of the day saves you much frustration later, as it dramatically extends the life and performance of the tools. The Niwaki Mini Clean Mate is an essential part of our tool care kit. Itdoes a really good job of removing sticky sap and rust. Wet the Clean Mate with water before use and rub away any dirt, sap or rust, then wipe clean with a rag. A sharpening stone keeps blades sharp and the pruning tools in good working order and a dab of Camellia oil afterwards adds a protective barrier, keeping both blades and wooden handles in good condition.

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Working outdoors all year round - in every kind of weather – puts a lot of strain on your knees. These thick, padded Niwaki kneelers help ease knee pressure and keep us comfortable on cold, wet and hard ground. To keep them free of dirt and mud, we regularly give the kneelers a quick brush, wipe down or scrub. The heavy-duty, weather-resistant canvas has held up well over time, although it no longer has its original pristine look.

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Visitors may have noticed that we use both green and yellow tubtrugs around the gardens. The green tubs are used for general compost, while the yellow ones are reserved for plants with persistent or invasive roots such as brambles, nettles, couch grass and arums. These are kept in a separate compost heap to ensure they break down fully and don’t find their way back into the gardens.

Alongside our tubtrugs, we use lightweight garden tarpaulins, finding them especially useful when cutting back perennials, pruning shrubs or gathering leaves. A trug fills up quickly, but a tarp holds far more and can easily be lifted by its handles and carried away.

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Over the past few years we’ve been gradually replacing our petrol tools with electrical alternatives. We are mindful that battery technology also has an environmental impact, but overall, it feels like a more sustainable direction. The STHL electric leaf blower is invaluable for tidying areas quickly. Gardners Scott says “For very large areas or heavy, wet leaves you’ll want something more powerful, but for day-to-day jobs – tidying paths or Beth’s patio, this is ideal. The leaf blower is certainly an investment, but with such a small team of gardeners managing 7.5 acres, efficiency matters.”

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Not all of our favourite tools come from well-known brands. Malin points out that a small plastic rake is one of her favourite tools, as it’s perfect for tidying plants or removing fallen leaves in the Gravel Garden, as its size makes it easy to get in between the plants without causing any damage, and it skims the surface rather than digging in.

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Last but not least, lightweight, washable gardening gloves - such as those made by Niwaki and Showa - let your skin breathe and offer a snug fit, allowing you to feel what you are doing when carrying out delicate tasks. They are far more pleasant to work in than the marigolds Beth used to favour. Head Gardener Åsa can attest how hot and uncomfortable those were during the summer months. In the winter, Niwaki’s fleece-lined gloves keep our hands warm and dry, while thicker leather or rubber gloves come out when we’re tackling nettles, prickly roses or bramble.

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Choosing to ultimate tools comes down to selecting something that fits your needs and feels comfortable in your hand – the weight, balance and grip. It allows you to work with better control and will reduce strain over time.