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Are you a gardening tool minimalist?

JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
in Tools and techniques
I like gardening but I dont like clutter, and gardening seems to be an activity that has loads of single-use tools and supplies.

Ive got two medium sheds and two small sheds filled with stuff, for a normal suburban garden!

Who has a minimalist approach to gardening tools?

Whats your list?
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Posts

  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    You certainly feel you need lots of tools if you watch Monty on GW, I’m sure he has a different tool for every job especially trowels. I have one trowel which I use for everything weeding, planting etc..
    I’m not sure you need all the dedicated tools, some yes and/or if you do a lot of a particular task but a lot is probably good marketing.


     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I have loads of second hand tools that I've inherited or been given and that I never use. Having said that though the ones I do use are numerous and much loved. I have four rakes which all do different jobs, maybe eight or more different cutting tools for pruning and clipping different types of things, loads of different spades and shovels... so no probably not minimalist. I covet Monty's wall of trowels too I will admit :#
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • TenNTenN Posts: 184
    I've got a shed full of everything (4 different hoes that never come out) but only use a trowel, bulldog spade, hori knife, and sometimes secateurs when I can find them. I reckon I could drop the trowel if needed. I also have an old opinel knife that is use for everything from pruning to pricking out.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Lots of secateurs. Lose one buy one find one repeat ad nauseam 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • lilysillylilysilly Posts: 511
    @JoeX, what do you have to fill FOUR sheds? 
    I have a plastic tool box with my necessities in for easy transportation between front and back gardens.
     This includes 2 border hand trowel, one extra slim, hand held onion hoe, claw rotavator, old kitchen scissors, 3 pairs of secateurs, old butter knife, soft twine, wire, labels, cane toppers, Sharpie marker, pencil and little notebook, tissues.
    In the shed I keep 1 spade, 1 shovel, 1 lady sized fork, 1 hoe, border rake, grass rake, lawn mower, strimmer, hand shears and loppers.
     I have five builders trugs, most have busted handles, various empty fence paint buckets, two kneeling pads, an old rug, an old sofa cushion . Add to that about 100 pots, of different sizes,  all stacked up, bamboo canes of various lengths, plant supports, the compost, the grit, the soil improvers, the 3 watering cans and the hose pipe. 
    When it's written down I'm amazed we can still fit 2 large bikes, the barbecue and the sun loungers in the shed.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    I've inherited tools over the years, but only buy tools if I have a specific need which my current tools can't do. 
    Nobody needs a dozen variants on the trowel for instance, but if they feel they get the use out of them I have no issue with them having them.  The only tool I have bought recently is a hori hori trowel and I really wouldn't want to be without that now.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I need a narrow pointy one which I use the most and a wide round one for digging big holes for planting
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    I don't like tools being in the way in the potting shed, so hang up some of them, depends on the job, sometimes they get in a mess.

    Some were bought for specific jobs, but I often think of new uses for them. Only one I regret really is an expensive bulb planter, a trowel would have done as it has not seen a lot of use, looks nice though!

    We've done a lot of ground work in recent years, so along with the normal garden tools, I have things like mattocks and pick axe, stump splitters a sledge hammer. They do tend to get in my way and may relocate them from the potting shed at some point.

    I'm a bit of a sucker for the middle of Lidl, so I do have some double ups on things like hedge shears and loppers. The tools are reasonable considering the price. In my defense I would only buy a replacement if the one I have is getting a bit worn out. I just have difficulty throwing away the old ones!

    Then there are the usual power tools, mower, strimmers (petrol and electric) hedge cutter, leaf blower, I use hooks and bungees to hang them out of the way.

    Have some old fashioned tools, wouldn't be without a sickle as power strimming in a wildlife garden might see unforgivable carnage. 

    So not minimalist, have tools for specific jobs on the whole and always willing to buy something else if it is the right tool for the job. I just won't be ending up with a collection of bulb planters!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I have a spade, a bulb planting trowel [for all planting]  and secateurs/snips. The stuff for the grass - a mower and edging shears, and for the hedge - hedgetrimmer and a brush and shovel.
    A rake, a hoe and a fork for now and again.
    I rarely use anything more than that.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Several people have said you have lots of tools you don't use:  please, when life gets backs to normal,  offer them on Freecycle to help out people on tight budgets who are just starting out in gardening.  IME, anything garden-related is always eagerly claimed.
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