Lightweight Gardening Tools

Making light of physical garden work

Our garden has long but not very wide borders. We decided to clear them of unwanted plants and make them deeper and add curves to add interest and decide on a more varied planting. One unwanted plant with very deep roots is Centaurea Montana and some of the beds need a second deeper dig to remove new growth.

The soil is easy to work and after I had a look at our garden tools I realised most of them are heavy, suited to my husband, not me. Also I managed to break the wooden handled spade I have used for years when digging up strawberry plants in a friend’s garden – her soil was quite compacted and harder to work than ours.

When I found it was as expensive to replace the handle as to buy a brand new fork, I had a look at the Fiskars Garden Light range on their website. My husband had recently bought the edging tool which I found light and easy to use and wanted to see what else was available.

Weighing only 1.4 kg each, I decided on the fork and spade. Each have lightweight, plastic coated aluminium shafts designed to reduce back strain and make garden work lighter. Just as attractive with regards to weight, the rake and patio broom just had to be added to the list!

I already had Fiskars secateurs and multi purpose scissors Cuts+More – a really useful item to have around the garden and indoors – see list of features below.

We did consider a garden shed to hold the tools and found some quite suitable ones on the web.  In the end we decided another shed would be one too many and instead we utilised one end of the new woodstore. It gives easy access while protecting from the weather all our Fiskar tools. The pair of Fiskars scissors on the left hand side was bought about 1970 is still in use – simply love it!

I have to say I’m delighted with this tool storage, easy to access, shielded from the weather that cost virtually nothing. Now what more could be squeezed in! I’m thinking of a brand new hoe, maybe …

Val Reynolds, Editor

The Cuts+More is designed to cope with

Trimming, pruning, opening packages

A power notch to cut light rope

A wire cutter for cutting light wire without damaging the blades

A twine cutter to cut twine cleanly and quickly

A pointed awl tip for piercing holes in cardboard, plastic, matting

Titanium-coated, take-apart knife for cutting sheets of polythene, cardboard and sheeting – this is particularly useful

The cover includes an integrated ceramic sharpener and tape cutter

And a bottle opener for a well-earned drink in the shed at the end of the day!

Photography by Pintail Photo © PintailPhoto