Back yards come in all shapes and sizes – and all degrees of maintenance. Before you start laying out your garden design, think about how much time you want to spend taking care of all those wonderful plantings once they’re in your yard.
Formal gardens designs often take additional care, including frequent pruning.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Some good garden tools to keep in your garage or shed include (clockwise from top): a hedge trimmer, wheelbarrow, axe, lopping shears, leaf blower, foldable pruning saw, string trimmer, shovel, spade and garden rake.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
A folding pruning saw with a locking blade makes for easy and safe storage.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Always check the plant care tags attached to your purchased plants. They cite useful selection and care information to help you determine if the plant is appropriate for your garden.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Once your trees mature, consider a pole pruner that can reach into the canopy and help remove unwanted branches easily.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Does a Saturday of puttering around your garden, pruning hedges and edging beds sound relaxing and peaceful, or does your ideal weekend revolve around sitting quietly on the patio and reading a good book? Do you look forward to donning garden gloves and pulling out a shovel, or would you opt to enlist the help of a professional? Once you’ve decided how many hours a week (or month) you’d like to spend maintaining your landscape, let that guide you in defining the scope of your project and creating your planting scheme.
Low-maintenance plantings are typically more naturalistic than formal ones. They feature natural areas of shrubs and trees and expanses of easy-care groundcovers. These landscapes contain native plants or species that are well-adapted to the climate. This reduces labor because well-adapted plants need little coddling and tend to stay healthier than those that struggle to survive in incompatible conditions.
When planning for an easy-care garden, don’t forget to consider the mature height and spread of each tree and shrub. This way you won’t have to worry about pruning your plants as they grow to keep size under control. For example, a low-maintenance garden might include a mass of dwarf heavenly bamboo planted below a living room window. Even when the bamboo reaches maturity, its dwarf size won’t block the view from inside the house.
If you’re on the other end of the spectrum and relish every bit of daylight for the time it gives you to garden, you might follow many low-maintenance landscape principles but give yourself some challenges. Perhaps create a topiary, grow a shrub that needs extra winter protection or maintain a formal hedge. Whatever type of garden you choose, it’s important to match your capabilities and availability with the maintenance needs of your future landscape.
And of course you can’t forget the proper tools you’ll need to maintain your gardening space. No matter whether your landscape is full of low-maintenance trees and shrubs or high-maintenance formal shrubbery, you’ll need the right tools to keep your garden healthy and looking its best. Having the proper tools also makes gardening a pleasure. The basics include a good shovel, a rake, a hand trowel and a watering can. Depending on the size of the area you’re gardening and the terrain, you may also want a wheelbarrow for hauling heavy items, a mattock for breaking hard-packed soils, and a hoe for weeding and leveling soil. When it comes time to prune, you’ll also need a good pair of hand pruners, lopping shears and a pruning saw.
As you select your gardening tools, choose those that fit you best. Try each tool on for size in the store. Long-handled shovels work well for many people, but short-handled tools sometimes suit petite gardeners better. Likewise, hand tools should feel comfortable to hold and use. Hand shears and trowels come in different sizes and weights, and many have contoured or padded handles designed for extra comfort.
Always opt for quality tools. They may be more expensive, but they’ll serve you well in the garden, and with proper care they’ll last for many years. Choose a shovel with a steel-tempered blade that’s solidly fastened to a smooth, rounded handle. The top of the blade should have a rolled edge so it’s comfortable to step down on while you’re digging. Look for shears and loppers with cutting edges that are solid, sharp and well-aligned, and purchase hand pruners with a locking mechanism that’s easy to operate. A wheelbarrow or garden cart should have sturdy wheels, good maneuverability and a basin large enough to hold any item you plan to haul.
Common gardening tools and supplies – including soil amendments, fertilizers, garden hoses, sprinklers, nozzles, tree stakes, guy wires, gardening gloves and more – are easily found at garden centers. When it comes to larger specialized tools (such as power augers, saws and tillers), you can often rent them at hardware stores or rental centers.
Just remember to plan before you plant and honestly consider the kind of time commitment you’re willing to give your garden. With a realistic plan and the right tools, maintaining your garden will become a joy – instead of a chore.
