Garden Tools & Equipment

What frustrates me about most “best secateurs” guides online is that they are written by people who borrowed a pair for a weekend or were sent them by a company in return for positive reviews. Worse still, some gardeners barely prune or have little expertise in using and maintaining secateurs. It means that when you […]

What I find surprising is how many gardeners spend a significant amount of money on plants and tools but use a folded-up cardboard box as a kneeling pad. Your knees are irreplaceable. A good garden kneeler costs between £10 and £40 and will serve you for years. That is a straightforward investment in long-term gardening […]

The shift from petrol-powered to cordless battery-powered garden tools has been one of the most significant changes in UK domestic gardening over the last decade. When I started in garden design, petrol was the professional standard and battery tools were the weak compromise you gave to someone who did not know better. That is completely […]

Now I know what you’re thinking, but you don’t need to be a Samurai to use one or train with a Sensei gardener for years on a remote Japanese island. Once you’ve got the hang of using a hori hori, I guarantee you’ll never look back! Whilst the Hori Hori gardening knife may look quite […]

Sharp secateurs are the difference between gardening being a joy and being a wrist-destroying slog that damages your plants. I learned this the expensive way three decades ago when I lost an entire shrub to disease after making ragged cuts with blunt snips. The infection entered through those torn edges and killed the plant within […]

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 […]

If you’ve been following my pruning adventures, you’ll know I’m not one to shy away from a good tool or ladder review to help me with my plant maintenance. But when I first clapped eyes on these Henchman tripod ladders, I must confess I was somewhat sceptical. Regular Garden Ninja visitors will know I’m a keen pruner, […]

As someone who has spent countless hours with secateurs in hand, transforming overgrown gardens and reviving plants, I can tell you that your choice of pruning tool will make or break your gardening experience. After years of testing everything from budget snips to professional-grade tools, I’ve narrowed down the premium market to two standout secateur […]

Nothing quite ruins the joy of indoor gardening like discovering your beloved houseplants have become a five-star hotel for unwanted guests. Whether it’s the cotton wool clusters of mealybugs, the annoying dance of fungus gnats around your favourite fiddle leaf fig, or the microscopic menace of spider mites turning your leaves into Swiss cheese, houseplant […]

This guide will show you how to make an easy compost bin from wooden pallets that is both cheap and simple to make. This is by far the easiest method I have used over the years. Even with a small garden, if you have enough space for a wooden palette, it’s worthwhile to create a […]