Garden Tools & Equipment

Quick Answer To sharpen secateurs, clean the blades, then draw a wetted 1000 grit whetstone along the bevelled outer edge of the cutting blade at 20 to 25 degrees, always working away from the edge, for about two minutes. Take the burr off the flat side with two light passes, never more, then oil the […]

Quick Answer To make a compost bin from pallets, stack three matching pallets into a U shape on level, free draining ground, then screw the corners together with decking screws and angle brackets for rigidity. Hinge a fourth pallet to the front to act as a door. Always choose pallets stamped HT rather than MB, […]

Quick Answer Mix a mild washing up liquid with warm water for an all purpose houseplant pest spray, add white vinegar or isopropyl alcohol for tougher infestations like mealybugs, and use pure essential oils such as peppermint or eucalyptus for spider mites. Always patch test first, spray in the evening out of direct sun, and […]

Quick Answer Gardening with arthritis or a bad back is still possible with a few thoughtful changes. A kneeler with handles, angled hand tools, ratchet secateurs and a raised bed built to a comfortable height remove most of the bending and gripping that causes pain, letting you garden in shorter, kinder sessions. Over the years […]

Quick Answer A hori hori is a Japanese gardening knife with a curved blade, one sharp edge, and one serrated edge that makes weeding, planting, and digging an absolute doddle. It replaces at least three other tools (trowel, weeder, and knife) whilst being sharp enough to slice through roots and tough weeds without creating craters […]

Quick Answer Niwaki and Okatsune secateurs give the sharpest, cleanest cut and the best feel in the hand, but need regular cleaning and oiling to stay rust free. Felco secateurs are slightly less razor sharp out of the box, but their replaceable parts, huge UK service network, and low maintenance make them the practical choice […]

Quick Answer A DIY sedum green roof for a garden shed costs roughly £40 to £85 per square metre and takes about a weekend to fit. Build a tanalised timber frame with a 3cm lip, fit a waterproof membrane and protective fleece, add a thin layer of free draining substrate, then lay pre-grown sedum blankets […]

When I first started gardening in my teens, I made the classic rookie mistake of thinking any old spade or fork would do the job. Mainly because I had zero funds and was working with whatever I had in my shed. How wrong I was! After years of designing gardens on BBC1’s Garden Rescue and […]

Quick Answer The best cordless hedge trimmer for most UK gardens is the Ryobi OHT1855R ONE+ for everyday domestic use, the Ryobi OHT1850X for hard-to-reach hedges and taller boundaries, and the STIHL HSA 56 if you want premium build quality and are prepared to pay for it. I have used Ryobi ONE+ tools extensively in […]

When I first started gardening many, many moons ago, I always gardened bare-handed. It gave me a genuine sense of connection with the earth and the gardening process. It wasn’t long, though, before coworkers in my old IT 9-5 job were giving my dirt-stained hands and nails the look of horror. It looked like I’d […]