Garden Spot - Trendy Tools - May 2005

The fine art of gardening has suddenly become " fashionable"; and with this new social status comes retail stores and catalogues offering designer, high tech, state of the art, must have apparel and tools. So what's a gardener to do? How does the consumer-horticulturalist survive yet another onslaught of retail offerings and come up with the best equipment for the garden?

The answer to these questions begins with a simple definition of "gardening" which is "the work of the gardener." The word work should be emphasized here, because gardening is very hard and strenuous. The human and the plants involved take a beating and need to be protected, so the clothing and the tools must be well-constructed and heavy duty materials must be used in the fabrication. In addition, they need to be made of materials which can be cleaned and disinfected often. Gardening tools and clothing are main distributors of very bad things, like insects and their eggs, bacteria, fungus, and weed seeds, and must be thoroughly cleaned after each use. And the sharp ends of tools like pruners, shovels, and loppers, must be kept sharp, so that they do not damage plants and make them vulnerable to insect and disease infestation; therefore, the tools purchased must be made of metals which can withstand frequent sharpening.

Two other considerations in this purchasing puzzle should be the comfort level of the gardener and the degree of commitment the gardener has made to the garden.

Clothing must protect, but it must also be suited to the weather. Staying cool, but protected on a sunny, hot, humid day is no easy task. And while a certain pair of pruners may be highly recommended for its level of performance, it is useless if the gardener is other-handed, has arthritis, or has no interest what-so-ever in pruning.

Gardeners have been gardening for a very long time, and the best sources for information on appropriate apparel and equipment are those companies which have been around for a long time, like Felco and Smith & Hawkins, and reputable hardware stores and garden centers. The Chicago Botanic Garden offers gardening advice on many topics, as does the University of Illinois Extension Service. And, as everyone knows, the Internet knows everything! The Village Garden Staff is also available to answer all gardening questions by calling (847) 883-8600.

DON'T FORGET - Always wear sun screen, when working outdoors, and come to the 5/4 seminar at North Park to learn to prune properly and control dreaded garlic mustard, as well as the 5/18 seminar at Spring Lake Park to learn all there is to learn about spring mulching.