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Gardening is much easier with the right tools. Here is a list of seven tools that will help make gardening easier. 1 - Shovel There are several types of shovels designed to make specific jobs easier - digging, trenching, scooping, scraping, and edging. Since there is cross-over from one type of shovel to another, it's best to choose a shovel that will universally help you the most. Then for other tasks that are only performed occasionally, seek to borrow from a friend or neighbor. Digging shovels come in two main scoop shapes, with edges designed for specific tasks--pointed edge or flat edge. Pointed scoops are generally used for digging and planting in soft, tilled soil. Sharp, flat edges are designed for heavy-duty, hard-packed soils that require more effort to dig in the soil. This may seem counter-intuitive, thinking the pointed edge has an advantage, but in practice, it's the flat edge that wins out overall. The flat shovel will also perform the functions of a garden spade such as: lawn edging, transplanting small bushes and trees, root pruning, cutting sod, dividing perennials, and trenching. So if you only have money for one shovel, make it a flat edge. 2 - Wheelbarrow This might seem like a tool you'd prefer your neighbor to own, but once you see the advantages of having a wheelbarrow, you will put this hard working tool to more uses. Besides hauling loads of bulk mulch and crushed stone for you new garden path, a wheelbarrow can also serve most of the same tasks as a garden cart. Before you go plant shopping, pull out your wheelbarrow and have it waiting for you when you return. When you get home, it can be called into service to help you take plants to a holding area until you can put them into the ground or container, or move to the areas of the garden where you plan to plant them. Any purchased amendments can also be hauled more easily with the wheelbarrow than trying to do the task in multiple trips with only the strength of your back. Save muscles for digging in the dirt. There is even a water bag product that allows you to irrigate specific plants around your property from the wheelbarrow. 3 - Pruners Pruners are probably the most indispensable tool for gardening. Pruners become scissors, tiny hole diggers, dead headers, and wire cutters, whether held in a holster or your back pocket, it's a tool you will most likely use everytime you go into the garden. 4 - Cultivator Three- prong cultivators can be hand held, best used on your knees, or at the end of a long handle. Both are useful, so pick a handle that best suits how you typically garden. If you do most of your work at ground level, choose the hand-held cultivator. If you have problems with your knees, or are just smarter than the rest of us and garden standing up, choose the long-handle variety. 5 - Hoe A garden hoe can serve multiple purposes, mainly making shallow rows in your vegetable beds before planting seeds. But it can also be used for mixing up soil and fertilizer, and loosening up the soil before weeding, or if you catch it right, riding weeds right at their knees. 6 - Rake There are flexible rakes and hard rakes, both serve separate purposes. A hard garden rake is indispensable in the vegetable garden. A firm leaf rake can take care of you during fall leaf raking tasks, and sometimes serves as a garden rake, but is better for cleaning up fall debris. A flexible leaf rake is more forgiving when raking around tender perennials. 7 - Two-prong Weeder A two-prong weeder is an unsung hero in the garden. It's very specific to allow you to get weeds with deep, targeted roots. Since weeds never sleep, this tool is used more often than you'd probably like, so have one on hand and make deep-rooted weeding easier. If you are just starting out in gardening, just get what you need and don't worry about all the choices. You can always add. It will become clear which tools you reach for from your garden shed.

1.Fill a bucket with hot water and add your soap, making sure you wear rubber gloves when you put your hands in the water so neither the soap nor the water temperature irritate your skin. 2.Place the hand tools you want to clean in the hot, soapy water. 3.Let the tools soak for an hour or so. Soaking tools in hot water will loosen the dirt and grime, making it easier for you to wash them clean. 4.Use a wire brush to clean caked-on dirt off the surface of your hand tools. To clean hard-to-reach spots, use a toothbrush or a wire brush with concentrated bristles. 5.Spray your tools with a high pressure hose to eliminate any problematic spots of dirt or grime. Place the tools you want to spray on a concrete surface, place your foot on the handle end of the tool to keep it in place and lower the pressure washer close to the surface of the tool so the stream of water cleans with maximum pressure. 6.Use steel wool to remove caked-on soil. Soak the tools in hot, soapy water as directed, and then scrub the problem spots with a steel wool bunch. You'll get the best results if you use new steel wool, rather than digging up an old bunch from under the sink or from inside a drawer in your garage or tool shed. 7.Remove rust with steel wool as well. Using a new bunch of steel wool, gently agitate the rusted metal surface using a small circular motion until the rust begins to lift. Continue until all the rust has been scraped away from the metal. 8.Dry your tools off when you have finished cleaning them. If you allow your tools to sit out while wet and air dry, you'll only increase the chances of further rust developing. Use a towel to dry them, and then store your tools in their proper places until you're ready to use them again.

Digging Tools Remove all the soil from your digging tools before you put them away -- you can usually do this by spraying them with a hose, but if you have to knock off heavy dirt and clay, do it with a screwdriver or a wooden stake. Dry the digging blade with a cloth -- never put it away wet -- and rub on a thin coat of mineral or motor oil to prevent rust. Pruning Tools Wash the cutting blades with soap and water to remove all plant material, and rub off resin and sap with a solvent that dissolves them -- preferably a 70 percent or higher concentration of isopropyl alcohol. Alcohol also disinfects the cutting blades; if you don't have any, use a household product that contains alcohol, such as mouthwash or disinfectant cleaner. You can also use chlorine bleach. Wipe the blades dry and oil them, then put a drop of penetrating oil on the nut that joins them to keep your shears or trimmers working smoothly. Rust Control Even if you perform regular maintenance on your garden tools, rust can still develop, particularly in humid conditions. The most effective way to control it is to physically remove it with sandpaper, steel wool or a wire brush. If you find a severely rusted tool in the back of your shed, immerse it in vinegar or lemon juice or rub it with a potato to help loosen rust. You can even do the job by brewing a pot of strong black tea. Sharpening Your Tools It's important to sharpen all your garden tools -- not just those you use for pruning. A sharp blade on your hoe or shovel improves its digging ability, which means less energy expenditure on your part. The number of times you sharpen the blades of a tool depends on how often you use it -- with regular usage, once every month or so is a good average. Shovels and Hoes Because you don't need to hone a knife edge on your digging tools, you can do the job with a 10-inch mill file, which is readily available at hardware stores. After cleaning the blade and removing rust, stroke the file along the bevel on the top of the blade to remove pits and gouges and generally clean the cutting edge. Turn the blade over and do the other side if it has a double bevel. Finish off by deburring and smoothing the edge and oiling the blade. Pruning Tools and Axes Cutting tools need sharper blades, and a file may be too coarse for homing them; many gardeners use a sharpening stone instead. You'll get the best results if you secure the blade in a vise after first disassembling the tool -- if possible. Wear gloves to protect your hands and draw or rub the stone along the blade bevel. Don't overdo it; it probably won't take many more than 10 passes to restore the edge. Oil the blade and lubricate the tool when you're done.