A Guide to Growing Flowers at Home, Part 1: Tools

By Patricia Bianca S. Taculao

Some people brighten up their homes by putting ornaments such as vases or other antiquities. Others would even add a natural tone by placing fresh flowers in the middle of a room.

But why stop at brightening only one room when you can add vibrance to the entire house? One way to do this is through a flower garden.

A flower garden is a plot of land where flowers are cultivated and displayed. The blooms produced are both pleasing to the sight and smell. This is why most flower gardens are located in front of a house or building to make it more attractive to visitors or even to passers-by.

If you’re planning to try your luck when it comes to flower gardening, here are the essential tools that every gardener needs in their arsenal:

1. Spade or shovel – both of these tools are for digging and turning the soil; the only difference is that a spade is used for small areas while a shovel is used for large ones.
2. Pruning shears – when there are dead branches, leaves, or other unwanted debris from plants, cut them out with pruning shears. But be careful! This are sharper than the regular scissors.
3. Watering hose – similar to all plants, flower gardens need a sufficient amount of water to keep them alive.
4. Wheelbarrow – use this to avoid any problems when it comes to carrying or transporting tools/materials.
5. Rake – these fork-like tools are used to remove any light debris from the surface of the flower garden. The size of the rake should also depend on the size of the garden.
6. Pruning saw – if pruning shears just can’t cut it, then the pruning saw is the next alternative. Use this for branches that are sturdier than usual.
7. Water breaker – this tools like a simple shower head but it has a deeper purpose. It soaks established plants while gently watering the new ones.
8. Scissors – for cutting soft-stemmed plants, twine, or dead leaves.
9. Transplant spade – this spade is a little wider and more curved inwards than the regular spade because it is used for transferring plants from one place to another.
10. Digging fork – this tool is good for mixing soil components or breaking up clumps.
11. Gloves- always put your safety first! Wear heavy duty gloves for work such as digging holes, handling plants with thorns, or even carrying tools. But for light work like seed handling or weeding, wear synthetic washable gloves.

These are the basic tools you need to have on hand to start a flower garden. There are a lot more things to learn and consider especially in the proper care and management of the garden itself.

In Part 2, we tackle the basics of planning and constructing your flower garden.

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