Garden Tools List A to Z (What You Actually Need)

26/03/2021 Sav Taylor

Whether you're a beginner or a bit of a gardening genius looking to upgrade your collection, our A to Z garden tools list features all the most important tools and equipment you need.

From must-have basics to helpful extras, this list will break down your garden toolkit so you can focus on creating a thriving garden.

Before we get into our list, here are some products you can add to your basket now and get free delivery*

A to Z of Garden Tools

It’s easy to get swamped down with a never-ending list of garden tools. But, by focusing on the essentials, you can avoid clutter and have everything you need for a successful gardening experience.

We’ve put together an A to Z list of the most important garden tools and their uses, so you can make sure your collection is fully stocked with all the right items.

A - Anvil Lopper

An anvil lopper is an essential tool for cutting thick branches and stems in your garden. It features a long handle for extra leverage and a sharp blade that can easily slice through tough wood.

This is a super tool to have in your collection, as you can use it for a whole bunch of gardening tasks, from pruning trees and shrubs to shaping hedges. You can even use it to trim small trees and cut down dead branches.

Our recommended anvil lopper:

We love the Burgon & Ball Bypass Lopper because of its handy extendable handles, which allow you to reach higher branches without having to use a ladder or strain your back.

The blades are made from high-quality, fully-hardened carbon steel, ensuring a clean and precise cut every time. Plus, the lightweight aluminium handles make it easy to manoeuver and comfortable to use.

B - Bulb Planter

A bulb planter is a pretty nifty piece of kit. It allows you to sow bulbs quickly and easily, and most importantly, ergonomically.

This is an essential tool for seasoned sowers. Imagine how much time you could save! Perfectly carve out your soil, ready for your new bulb to be planted – without getting your hands dirty.

Our recommended bulb planter:

The Burgon & Ball Bulb Short-Handled Bulb Planter is ideal for avid bulb planters. As with all Burgon & Ball products, it’s endorsed by the RHS.

With its short handle, the Burgon & Ball Bulb Planter allows you to work comfortably on your knees without straining your back.

Its sharp, narrow head is also ideal for making precise holes in the soil for planting bulbs.

C - Compost Scoop

Every gardener should know the importance of composting and introducing compost to your soil. What better way to manoeuvre your compost than with a compost scoop?

Check Out Our Beehive Composter!

A compost scoop makes for efficient gardening, saving you time and effort while reducing wasted compost due to the high, rounded edges of the tool.

Our recommended compost scoop:

The Compost Scoop from our friends at Burgon & Ball is the must-have compost tool for your collection.

Its outstanding rust resistance makes it great for gardening all year round, no matter what the British weather has in store.

The tool is also lightweight, making it highly ergonomic for gardeners of all needs. That’s not forgetting its large capacity and ability to minimise spillages due to its deeply dished head.

D - Dibblet

If you’re an avid seed planter, a dibblet is definitely needed in your collection. How have you lasted so long without one?

A dibblet is a small handheld tool used for planting seeds in soil. Gardeners, farmers, and horticulturists commonly use one to ensure accurate and efficient planting.

Our recommended dibblet:

We at WM James recommend this Burgon & Ball Dibblet over all others because of its compact, ergonomic design. It is ideal for gardeners who need the utmost precision when planting seeds.

Seeds placed too close together risk poor germination, and seeds placed too far apart minimise the use of your soil.

Made from high-quality FSC Beech Wood with 1cm graduations, this dibblet is a necessity for those who work with seeds for a successful harvest.

F - Fleece Netting

Fleece netting is an essential piece of equipment for gardeners who would rather their precious crops not be eaten or damaged by pests, or suffer from the harsh weather conditions the winter can bring.

If your plants are susceptible to weather damage and flying pests, a fleece is definitely a troubleshooting product you need in your arsenal.

Our recommended fleece netting:

Our recommendation is the UV-stabilised Horticultural Garden Fleece, which creates a warm microclimate to help your plants thrive despite strong winds, rain, frost, and pests.

It’s suitable for domestic and commercial use and is sold per meter, allowing you to have the perfect-sized fleece for your requirements.

You’re likely to use this fleece netting for quite some time, as its spun-bound polypropylene material adds to its longevity.

G - Garden Spade

A garden spade is an absolute necessity for gardening, and we’d be surprised if you didn’t already have one (perhaps you’re due an upgrade?).

As extremely versatile tools, they can be used to carry out a wide range of gardening jobs, including digging, edging, turning soil, transplanting, weeding - the list goes on.

Our recommended garden spade:

The Burgon & Ball Ground Breaker Spade is a super premium tool designed for heavy-duty digging in tough soil conditions.

It features a stainless steel blade for durability and rust resistance, with a sharp edge for effortless soil penetration.

The lightweight tool provides ease of use, and the ergonomic yet strong design is fantastic for all gardeners, novices to experts.

An all-round essential tool to keep in your shed.

H - Hand Trowel

When you're looking for a tool to help you with precision gardening, a hand trowel should be first on your list.

It can be used for many common tasks, like planting, weeding, transplanting, soil aeration, and mixing materials. This is especially true if you’re carrying out these tasks in a small space, like a plant pot or flower bed.

Our recommended hand trowel:

Many love the Burgon & Ball Stainless Steel Hand Trowel for gardening in compact areas.

Its high quality and performance, paired with its ergonomic design, make it an excellent gardening tool to have in your collection.

Key features include its stainless steel rust-free head, FSC-certified hardwood handle, and a leather hanging strap for convenient storage to keep your shed or garage organised.

I - Irrigation Matting (Capillary Mat)

If you’re an avid grower and spend a lot of time in the garden watering your plants and managing how much water they get—which takes a lot of time—irrigation matting will be your new best friend.

A capillary mat has great water retention, allowing your plants to have a steady water supply over time without wasting any in runoff.

Other key benefits include reducing the time you spend manually watering, being suitable for many garden growing areas, being eco-friendly, and improving the health of plants and seeds.

Our recommended irrigation matting:

Developed at one of Britain's top flower research centres, this Aquamat Capillary Matting is our top recommendation for many reasons.

It’s made from non-phyto toxic materials, has a reversible design for longevity, and is super easily installed.

With this dynamic piece of equipment, you can water your plants quickly, efficiently, and simultaneously.

K - Kneeling Pad

Do you have painful joints, or do you keep piling up the laundry bag with your muddy clothes? It sounds to us like you need a kneeling pad.

For all the close-up ground jobs, like sowing or organising your shed, a kneeling pad will provide an extra layer of comfort and help you keep your clothes clean.

A kneeling pad is also highly portable, so no matter how big or small your garden is, you can move it to any area you need to work on.

L - Long-Handle Spade

A long-handle spade is another versatile tool for beginners and experts, excellent for digging, turning soil and much more.

The extended handle provides great leverage while reducing back strain on tough jobs like digging through winter soil.

It’s one of the ultimate must-haves for gardeners because it’s ideal for both heavy-duty and precision tasks.

Our recommended long-handle spade:

The Burgon & Ball Stainless Steel Border Spade is our top pick because all gardeners should have this tool in their collection.

It has a durable stainless steel head for rust resistance and an FSC-certified ash handle for strength and comfort for the gardener. The lightweight yet heavy-duty nature of the tool makes it highly ergonomic.

This tool is designed for precision for digging and edging in tight spaces like flower beds and borders.

Not to mention the breaking strain of 90kg.

N - Netting for Pest Protection

If you take great care of your crops, only to see them eaten or damaged by pests like birds, insects, deer, and more, netting for pest protection will be your saving grace.

It can also help protect plants from environmental factors, like hail, which can cause them stress.

If you’re worried about pest netting taking over the visual aspect of your garden, don’t worry. Pest netting is usually neutral in colour, blending into the background of your outdoor space.

Our recommended netting for pest protection:

This versatile Garden Netting with 20mm Mesh is perfect for keeping out all kinds of unwanted pests, and even as pond safety netting for your water features.

You can choose the colour that suits your needs best, too.

This general-use garden net is rot-proof, so it can withstand all weather conditions. It’s highly durable and has a high breaking strain. Rest assured, your crops will be protected with this net.

It’s also bespoke sizing, so whatever you need your net for, WM James can accommodate!

P - Pruning Shears

If you take pride in your garden and love to see a perfectly pruned tree, shrub, or climbing flower display, pruning shears need to be a tool in your collection.

Their sharp blades can cut dead, hard, and soft wood, so you can get your garden looking tip-top again.

Pruning shears are only little things, so they’ll fit nicely in your garden toolbox, ready for when the pruning season comes.

Our recommended pruning shears:

These hand-held pruners will bring back the joy of garden pruning without having to experience that horrible strain on your hands and fingers.

The carbon steel blade will cut through all matters of dead wood, branches, and shrubs with total ease.

The nifty sap groove also prevents the tool from sticking together during longer jobs. Prune frustration-free with these pocket pruners.

S - Seed & Cutting Trays

Whether you’ve just caught the bug for sowing and are ready to start growing your own produce indoors or outside, or you just need an upgrade, seed and cutting trays are ideal for you.

They provide a controlled and optimal area for seeds to start germinating whilst allowing you to plant multiple seeds simultaneously.

They’ll also make transporting your seedlings much easier without disturbing their young, fragile roots.

Our recommended seed & cutting trays:

We love and recommend the 40 Pot Seed & Cutting Tray due to its sheer size. Imagine how many seeds you could plant with this! If you’re an avid sower, this is the tray for you.

Replacement pots are available if any get damaged. They’re also made from recycled and recyclable materials, so you can tap into your eco-friendly side.

T - Thermometer for Soil

A soil thermometer is essential if you’re serious about planting and cultivation. It’ll help gauge the soil temperature to ensure it’s correct for germination and growth.

If you think you want to start growing plants in winter, this will also help you determine when to start.

The temperature of the soil is super important, as it could lead to unsuccessful germination and harvesting.

Our recommended soil thermometer:

We recommend this Soil Thermometer because it’s highly accurate at reading the state of the soil.

It’s suitable for beds, compost, soil, and heated seed beds, so you can use it in all areas of gardening.

It’s a small piece of equipment, but 100% necessary.

V - Vertical Garden Planter

Vertical garden planters are perfect for introducing focal points and beautiful blooming flower displays to your garden.

If you’re a flower enthusiast, a vertical planter is something you should definitely consider, especially if you can plant multiple variations in one planter.

Our recommended vertical planter:

Our Three-Tier Corner Cascade Planter from Rowlinson is a customer favourite, and we love it, too.

If you have useless and dull areas in your garden, this planter could instil some new life in your outdoor space with pops of colour and plant diversity.

The planter itself is great; it’s made from FSC-certified softwood, pressure-treated against rot, and can be painted or stained to match your style.

W - Watering Can

Last but not least, you need a watering can. Whether you have pants growing indoors or outdoors, they all need a drink regularly.

A watering can ensures that you water your plants precisely and accurately without disturbing anything around them or their roots.

Why Do You Need Good Gardening Tools?

Gardening tools help make the experience of gardening more enjoyable and most definitely easier. But they also keep your plants healthy, contributing to a thriving garden.

For beginners, the basic tools will be your best friend. Don't get too caught up in trying to be too professional until you're a little more experienced. Perfecting your practices can come later.

Check Out More Advice on Beginner Gardening

If you've moved on from entry-level gardening and want to try it at a more advanced level to get professional results, your tools should reflect that, too.

Specialist gardening tools will help you carry out tasks more efficiently to achieve better results all round.

If you're considering accumulating specialist tools to add to your collection, you must be a pretty big enthusiast, and your fingers must be extremely green! Shopping around for new tools that will make your life as a gardener easier is always a fun activity.

Remember, it's good to invest in your hobbies!

Of course, the tools we recommend can be used by beginners, but it's best to get the basics right before perfecting them.

Summary: Your List of the Most Important Garden Tools

To wrap up, we thought we'd reiterate the importance of having various tools in a toolkit for garden enthusiasts seeking to improve their outdoor space. Good tools can only enhance your skills.

Tools should be with you for many years before you're due an upgrade. So try to buy wisely, and only purchase high-quality tools that will last even in difficult conditions. WM James can help you there.

Browse our website to shop our gardening tools and equipment today! We offer free UK delivery, 30-day returns, and expert gardening advice.

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If you'd like further advice or help on gardening tools, please contact us! With over 60 years of experience in the horticultural industry, we know a thing or two about gardening tools!

Article last updated: 06/12/2024

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