Having the right landscaping tools on your side can make even the most ambitious home improvement project seem more achievable. Wonder what you should have on hand for your Connecticut home’s landscaping needs? Check out our list for eight of the most essential tools that you should always have ready so that you’re prepared for any landscaping project.
8 Landscaping Tools Every Homeowner in Connecticut Should Own
1. Work Gloves
While it’s simple enough that it may be overlooked when considering what tools you need, the value of a good pair of gloves can’t be overstated. Gloves provide you with a layer of protection when you’re doing various kinds of landscaping work, reducing the risk of injuring your hands. In addition, they also provide you with a more steady grip so that you have less of a chance of making a potentially dangerous mistake in the first place.
Look for gardening gloves that fit properly so that your dexterity isn’t impeded when wearing them. You should also look for gloves made from a tough enough material to provide adequate puncture protection from things like thorns or the sharp edges of landscaping tools. Water-resistant gloves are also a must for any landscaper.
2. Lawn Mower
If you want to keep your outdoor space looking its best, you’ll need to perform routine maintenance on a regular basis. One of the most important parts of landscaping maintenance is mowing your lawn regularly. This gives your lawn the even, neatly-cut look that homeowners find so desirable, increasing the curb appeal of your property.
Choosing the right lawn mower comes down to the details of the property you’re planning on using it on. A larger lawn that doesn’t have many natural barriers or difficult terrain is often suitable for a riding mower, saving you the trouble of having to stay up on your feet while mowing your lawn. A push mower is more suitable for smaller outdoor areas or places where the landscape might prevent a riding mower from reaching.
3. Hose and Sprinkler
One essential step in providing for the health of your lawn is ensuring that the grass and other plants you’ve landscaped with have the hydration they need to thrive and stay healthy. A good hose makes watering your lawn take much less time and effort. You may wish to look into additional nozzles for the hose to disperse the water over a wider area or have it come out in a mist, among other features.
If you have a larger lawn, you may also wish to add a sprinkler to your toolset to make it easy to provide adequate hydration throughout the area. These can attach to your hose to diffuse water over a wider range so that every plant gets an even amount of moisture. The alternative is to have an in-ground sprinkler system installed, which makes the process of watering your lawn even more effortless.
4. Trowel
Automated tools like a riding mower certainly have their place in landscaping, but sometimes, there’s no substitute for getting hands-on and working on the small details of your outdoor space. For tasks like these, a good trowel is essential. This tool is useful for loosening soil for planting, weeding your garden, and many other tasks that involve the finer details of your lawn.
You want your trowel to last you for years to come, so look for a well-made, durable tool with a strong steel blade. The shape of the blade you should look for depends on the type of work you’ll be doing. A wide blade works through loose soil more quickly, while a narrow blade cuts through compacted soil with greater ease and is better for tight spaces. Depending on your needs, you may wish to get more than one trowel.
5. Leaf Rake
When fall comes around, every homeowner knows that it’s time to get their rake out and remove fallen leaves from their yard. This prevents the plant life underneath from getting smothered and will help your lawn return in full health the following year. Look for a rake that covers a wide area and is made from a durable material to make short work of your leaf removal projects.
A rake isn’t only good for homeowners with trees on their property, however. You’ll also want a rake handy to clean up your yard after a mowing project. You can use this tool to gather up any grass clippings left over on your lawn to give the exterior of your property the neat and tidy look that you desire.
6. Shovels
There are a number of landscaping projects where digging a hole or moving the dirt on your property around will be necessary, and that’s where a good shovel comes in. You’ll need a tool like this for digging water features, creating holes for trees, shrubs, or bushes that need to be planted deep in the ground, or any number of other projects.
Like with so many landscaping tools, shovels come in a variety of different styles that are each geared towards specific types of work. You’ll want a rounded digging shovel for general use, for starters. Depending on your landscaping needs, you may also wish to add a flat-headed shovel for doing things like edging your lawn.
7. Wheelbarrow
When you’ve raked up a pile of leaves, dug up a pile of stones and dirt, or accumulated any other material that needs to be moved from one place to another, a wheelbarrow is an invaluable tool. Look for a wheelbarrow that has adequate space for the projects you intend to use it for and is well-constructed and durable enough to withstand any wear-and-tear your work will cause.
A good wheelbarrow has a wide range of applications in landscaping. You might use one to remove clippings, weeds, and any other waste from your garden to a compost pile. A wheelbarrow is also useful for storing stones that you’re using to create a rock feature in your landscape, saving you the extra work of having to go back to a pile to collect the stone.
8. Hedge Clippers
Pruning away old growth from plants allows new growth to come in stronger and healthier. Clipping hedges, shrubs, and other plants also help them achieve the aesthetic that you wish to show off in your landscaping. For these and other tasks, a good pair of hedge clippers is a must-have for any homeowner.
Decide on whether you’ll want manual hedge clippers or electric or gas-powered electric clippers depending on the amount of trimming you’ll need to do and your own preferences. You’ll also want to choose the right size of clippers for the type of work you’ll be doing. Large clippers are able to cover a wider area more efficiently, while an additional pair of smaller clippers is good to have on hand for finer detailing.
While having tools on hand for your DIY needs is essential, sometimes you need the professional touch to get the landscaping results you’re looking for. When you need some assistance with your big project, trust our directory to find the fully-screened and vetted pros who will get your job done right. Visit Landscaper Locator today to get the quality landscaping assistance you need!