Save money with Millie's rules for tools | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia

Millie shares garden tool wisdom to help you make the right selection.
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When it comes to looking after a garden there are so many great tools you can buy that are made for specific tasks, but if you’re just getting started you only need a few.
A good pair of secateurs, the best you can afford, will last for years and you’ll need something to dig with, such as a spade. A good bucket always comes in handy too, whether it’s for carrying weeds around or using to soak plants in.
If you’re getting more serious or have a large garden, you might need to scale up your kit. A wheelbarrow is a big investment but if you go for good quality, it will last for decades. They are very versatile for carrying large loads, soaking plants in, or even use it as a seat. There are different types of wheelbarrows, such as those with four wheels that are very stable. The traditional single wheel is Millie’s preference as they are easy to manoeuvre.
It’s important to have good posture when moving a heavy load - instead of trying to lift or push the wheelbarrow with force, keep your back straight and start moving forward, and the wheelbarrow will move with you. Another tip is to always park an empty wheelbarrow facing the direction you want to move it when it’s full - trying to turn a heavy load is not easy!
When choosing your wheelbarrow, it’s best to select one fit for your purpose. Millie uses a small, lightweight barrow with a narrow tire for everyday tasks and a heavier one with a thicker tire for especially heavy loads as it is more stable.
Bigger is not always better when it comes to tools. Shifting shovels are available with small, medium, and large spade heads. Whilst a large spade will carry more soil, it takes a lot more effort and can lead to injury if it is too heavy, so a small or medium might be the way to go.
Before buying a new tool, pick it up in the store and try to get a feel if it is comfortable and light enough to use repetitively.
Whilst you can buy every type of tool, there are lots of things around the house that can be repurposed in the garden. A kitchen sieve is a great tool for separating out large chunks of potting mix, to create a seed raising mix from the smaller particle soil leftover. A butter knife is useful for digging out weeds between pavers, and a serrated bread knife can be used to cut through new rolls of turf or for cutting through a root ball when dividing plants. Even a humble milk bottle can be cut and turned into a useful scoop with a built-in handle.
You don’t need anything to get started in the garden but as your knowledge and skills grow you might want to increase your kit. Give it some thought, and you can save your money and your body!
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