If you were to put me a beautiful and lush deserted island where I could garden but could only have five things with me to do so (except for the seeds), this would be on my list:
Drain Spade
Best described as a short, skinny shovel with a curved end, this tool is all I use to plant shrubs, dig up annoying large weeds, and turn over the dirt before planting new seedlings. It may have originally been made to help with efficient trench digging, but I call it the perfect garden shovel.
The one I have is an old wooden handled gem I found at an estate sale and is living a strong second life with me, so don’t overlook buying these second hand! However, this is a new one that gets strong reviews:
Hori Hori Knife
The best hand tool for digging small plant holes and tackling mini clumps of weeds. The one linked below is by far my favorite due to the fact that it’s taken abuse from me (being lost in the field, left out in the rain, not cleaned off for weeks etc.) and yet has managed to stay strong for the last 5 years:
Skin Care Kit
It may be breaking the rules to bring a 3 item kit, but I’d argue that gloves, lotion, and sunscreen work together as one amazing tool because they protect the human and the precious extremities that are at the heart of all gardening jobs!
So in this kit would be:
Nitrile Coated Gardening Gloves
Yes, gardening without gloves can be wonderful and I definitely recommend putting your hands directly in the dirt from time to time. However, the split fingers that tend to happen when I don’t wear gloves for a full day of gardening result in distracting pain that takes away from the joy of growing flowers. So, for much of the day I wear nitrile gloves because they’re breathable, washable, and comfortable, allowing you to maintain good dexterity while protecting your skin.
Truth be told, I’ve yet to find a pair I didn’t like, so no brand recommendations here. Nitrile coated gloves can be easily found in any nursery, home good store, or online!
Lotion
To slather on before you slip those gloves on and after when you slip them off! One that has been my forever favorite for almost a decade due to its natural ingredients, amazing creaminess, and lovely scents is Old Whaling Company. It’s a small batch body care company based out of Charleston, South Carolina, and it was started by a mom with a mission to solve her son’s eczema. My own mom discovered OWC at the very beginning, and it’s been exciting to watch them grow and evolve without the products ever losing the integrity they began with. And no, I’m not being sponsored by them to say this! I just really really love their stuff and the heart behind their business.
Sunscreen
Also not being paid to say this but this one has proven to be the one sunscreen that actually prevents sunburn on my fair skin after spending at least 8 hours at day outside…Sun Bum. Hands down the best and yummiest scented sunscreen (and if you’re interested in hearing a fun founder’s story, check out their interview on the How I Built This podcast;)
Snips
Straight blade snips are perfect for harvesting flowers in the field and designing with them indoors. I’ve had several brands and have FELCO to be the sturdiest and longest lasting.
Pruning Saw
The perfect tool for pruning shrubs and trees - and also the perfect tool to cut downed limbs to create waddle fences (or any other charming makeshift fence). Corona (the tool company, not the beer one;) makes a wonderful folding one.
Anything missing from the list you’d include? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Also, I’m excited to say that anyone who books a garden consult with me this year is getting their own mini care kit that includes some of my favs … I’ll give you a hint: the one I rambled on about the most will definitely be in there;)
You can book a consult here to receive flower growing guidance, a bit of cheerleading, and the above mentioned kit!
Lastly, be on the look out for a fun Mother’s Day gift offering that will also include a few of the above favorites. Signing up for the newsletter is the easiest way to go about being notified when those offerings become available!