Equipment

Gardening, like any hobby, has its share of useful tools. One of these tools would be a great gift for the gardener in your life. Visit Gardeners Supply Company for even more ideas. 

The keys to pruning trees and shrubs are a basic understanding of pruning techniques and knowing when to prune plants. For more information on these topics, check out the additional resources below.

But it's also important to understand the variety of tools available to make the job easier and use them correctly. The best tool for the job is determined by the size of the plant material to be removed and its location.

Good tools make the work in my landscape much easier. I get the majority of my work done with just five tools, so if you have a gardener on your gift list consider one of these ideas.

Hori-Hori - Garden or Soil Knife
The tool that is absolutely indispensable to me is a Japanese gardener’s knife or hori-hori. It works better than a trowel or hand rake for digging, planting and weeding. And it’s great for dividing plants and planting bulbs.

From trowels to tillers, gardening equipment will last longer and do a better job for you if you spend some time on preventive maintenance each fall. Getting tools in tiptop condition now also means they'll be ready to use when the gardening bug bites next spring.

Power Equipment  
The owner's manual on your garden tractor, lawn mower, tiller or other power equipment is usually your best guide for winterization. Generally, however, the main steps include the following:

A major challenge for good growth of houseplants indoors, particularly in winter, is poor light. Most homes are just too dark for plants to grow well in winter, especially those plants requiring high light.

Signs your plants are not getting enough light are small leaves, long thin stems, failure of blooming plants to flower and lighter-than-normal colored foliage. For example, a geranium grown in low light tends to be spindly and have light green leaves, while the same plant in bright light will be shorter, better branched, with larger dark-green leaves.