Types Of Garden Tools Required For Gardening

Most gardeners don't set foot in the garden without their trusty handheld trowel, favourite pruning shears, and perhaps a nice pair of gardening gloves. That being said, there are a whole host of other gardening tools! Here's the ultimate list of garden tools for the avid gardener.

Complete List of Gardening Tools

Here is the ultimate list of garden tools for homeowners. This gardening tools list includes all the basics, plus ideas for more uncommon and specialized tools. The list is separated into sections for digging tools, weeding tools, sweeping tools, cutting tools, watering tools, and even more gardening gear.

Prefer more pictures? Here is the visual list of gardening tools.

The Complete List of Gardening Tools for Home Gardeners

1. Digging Tools for the Garden

Here are the garden tools that many homeowners use for various tasks around the yard that require digging:

Garden Shovels and Spades

Garden Trowel: small handheld shovel for digging and moving soil
Pointed Shovel: standard D-grip garden shovel, scoops soil
Border Spade: traditional D-grip spade, slices soil, not for scooping
Nursery Spade: pro digging spade, slices soil, not for scooping soil
Transplanting Spade: narrow spade for digging small, deep holes
Mini Pointed Shovel: pointed digging shovel for space-restricted areas
Mini Square Shovel: straight-edged scooping shovel for small areas
Spear-Head Spade: digs and scoops soil, available in pink
Root Assassin Shovel: rounded slicing tip, large teeth on sides
Root Slayer Shovel: V-shaped slicing tip, serrated ripsaw sides
Metal Scoop Shovel: heavy duty scoop for mulch, stones, compost
Trenching Spade: tall, narrow shovel for digging trenches
Drain Spade: tall, narrow shovel for cleaning out drainage ditches

More Digging Tools for the Garden

Claws Garden Gloves: digging gloves with integrated claws
Spading Fork: loosen, lift, and cultivate soil (digging fork)
Bedding Fork: lift and carry compost or animal bedding
Manure Fork: lift, carry, and pitch manure and heavier materials
Dibber/Dibbler: poke small holes in the soil for planting seeds
Bulb Planter: cut and remove small soil cores to place bulbs
Widger: traditional thin, trowel-like transplanting tool
Auger Drill Bit: auger for handheld drill, for bulbs and bedding plants
Garden Spiral Hole Drill Planter: longer auger drill bit, also for handheld drills
Post Hole Digger: dual blade digging tool for deep narrow holes
Hollow Tine Aerator: remove cores of soil to introduce air pockets
Power Core Aerator: self-propelled walk-behind aerator machine
Digging Bar: sturdy pointed stick for in-ground prying

These digging tools have each been designed with a particular application in mind. Buy, borrow, or rent the right garden tool for the job.

2. Weeding Tools for Home Gardeners

Here is a list of the weeding tools used by many gardeners to keep their lawns and garden beds from becoming overrun with unwanted plants.

Small Weeding Tools

Hand Weeder: handheld mini weed puller with notched tip
Trowel Weeder: handheld trowel-like weeder with serrated edges
Cobrahead Weeder: handheld weeding tool with curved head
Wrotter: pointy handheld tool for pulling taproot weeds
Weeding Fork: handheld weeder with long prong tines
Grampa's Weeder: classic stand-up weeder with step lever
Claw Weeder: stand-up stick weeder with serrated coring blades
Weasel WeedPopper: "step-and-twist" stand-up stick weeder
Cape Cod Weeder: traditional handheld weeder with sickle blade
Japanese Weeding Sickle: handheld weeder with sickle blade
Long-Handled Blade Weeder: stand-up stick weeder for cracks
Dandelion Digger: compact hand weeder sized for dandelions
Korean Homi: curved hand plow for weeding and digging
Oscillating Scuffle Cultivator Hoe: handheld weeding hoe
Cultivator Hoe: handheld blade hoe and cultivating fork
Crack Weeder: handheld weeder with L-shaped blade for cracks

Larger Weeding Tools

Flame Weeder: handheld torch for burning weeds
Steam Weeder: industrial thermal weed-destroying machines
Diamond Hoe: long-handled scuffle hoe with four blades
Dutch Hoe: long-handled hoe with scuffle blade
Mattock: axe-like heavy-duty cultivator and pick
Weed Trimmer: electric string trimmer for clearing weeds

These weeding tools are designed to slice, pry, pull or or even use heat to discourage weeds from growing where you don't want them to.

Pruning Shears - the ultimate list of gardening tools — Felco is a company that makes top-of-the-line pruning shears and other cutting tools for the garden.

3. Cutting Tools for Gardeners

There are quite a few cutting-type tools to use in the garden. Here is a list of gardening tools with blades for cutting and slicing plant matter and gardening supplies.

Pruners, Scissors, and Other Garden Trimmers

Garden Scissors: utility scissors for gardening supplies
Garden Snips: precision scissors for trimming small plants
Pruning Shears/Secateurs: bypass pruners for cutting stems
Floral Shears: compact scissors for cutting flower stems
Thorn Stripper: steel thorn removal trimmers for roses
Loppers: long-handled anvil compound pruner
Hedge Trimmer: cordless electric dual-blade hedge trimmer
Hedge Shears: long-handled shears with long trimming blades
Grass Shears: grass trimmers for manicuring edges

Garden Knives and Other Horticultural Blades

Garden Knife/Hori Hori: traditional dual-blade steel knife
Box Cutter: retractable snap-off utility knife for supply boxes
Reel Mower: walk-behind lawn mower with steel blades
Electric Mower: cordless lawn mower with mulching capability
Edger: manual lawn edger with half-moon blade
Pruning Saw: razor-tooth hand saw with folding blade
Harvest Sickle: handheld tool with curved serrated blade
Billhook: handheld brush axe with hooked blade and saw
Hatchet: handheld axe for chopping and splitting wood
Splitting Axe: full-sized axe designed for splitting wood
Bow Saw: handheld manual saw for cutting through wood
Pole Pruner: extendable stick pruner for high branches

These garden scissors, pruners, and other cutting and slicing tools have been designed to help you keep your landscape tidy.

4. Sweeping Tools for Gardeners

Gardeners use sweeping tools like outdoor brooms and rakes to keep the landscape looking nicely manicured.

Corn Broom: traditional straw barn broom with wooden handle
Outdoor Push Broom: street-style wide broom for pavement
Hand Whisk Broom: outdoor handheld corn broom
Leaf Rake: lightweight expandable metal rake for leaves
Groundskeeper Rake: multi-purpose rake with stiff, round tines
Bow Rake: heavy-duty steel rake for mulch and rocks
Landscaping Rake: commercial rake for grading and grooming
Thatch Rake: heavy-duty for removing thatch and moss from lawn
Power Dethatcher: walk-behind power rake dethatching machine
Shrub Rake: small rake for landscape grooming
Hand Rake: handheld mini garden rake
Leaf Blower/Vacuum/Mulcher: electric leaf blower with mulching vac

These tools will help you keep your landscape spick and span!

5. Tools for Watering the Garden

Watering tools are one of the keys to a thriving garden. Here is a list of the best gardening tools for watering your lawn and garden beds:

Watering Can: classic metal watering can (indoor/outdoor)
Garden Hose: flex-resistant, drinking water safe water hose
Spray Nozzle: all-metal handheld spray nozzle
Water Breaker: full-flow, yet gentle nozzle
Watering Wand: long-handled watering stick with breaker head
Hose Washers: heavy-duty rubber washers for hose nozzles
Hose Timer: timer for hose faucet for automatic watering
Drip Irrigation: diy system of drip water emitter hoses
Sprinkler: oscillating adjustable area water sprinkler

These handy watering tools will help you water your garden quickly and efficiently!

6. More Gear for the Gardener

Here are even more gardening tools to add to the list:

Gardening Gloves: protective fabric gloves with rubberized palm
Kneeling Stool: garden bench stool and kneeling board combo
Kneeling Pad: foam pad to cushion knees while kneeling
Knee Pads: padded knee cushions with heavy-duty shield
Tool Belt: canvas tool pouch with waist belt
Wheelbarrow: for push transport of soil and other bulk materials
Garden Cart: wagon-style cart for pulling heavy loads
Carbide File: sharpening tool for straight-bladed gardening tools
Mallet: hammer with rubber head for softened blows
Lumber Pencil: heavy-duty broad carpenter's pencil
Level: outdoor water-resistant manual level for landscaping
Drill: cordless electric drill for hardscaping applications
Multi-Tool: pocket-sized toolkit handy for small jobs
Drum Roller: large compaction roller for soil, seed, and sod
Stripe Roller: mini lawn roller for striped lawn mowing patterns

What gardening tools are you adding to your list!?

See my full visual list of gardening tools on Amazon.

Mary Jane Duford

Mary Jane is a home gardener who loves creating healthy, welcoming spaces (indoors and out!) - About Mary Jane (https://www.homefortheharvest.com/authors/about-mary-jane-duford/)