Tools every gardener needs

You will require the fork to break down the soil if it is hard and also to fluff or sieve the soil once you have finished planting up to create that just planted look. A trowel is an excellent tool for getting down on your knees and weeding all those pesky perennial weeds.

Secateurs and cutting tools
When it comes to secateurs, the Rolls Royce of blades is made by Felco and while you might not treat yourself to a top-of-the-line car, you'll thank yourself for investing in a Felco. Rubber grips cushion and protect the wrist, the engineering assures that blades rotate and cut easily and they make specialty versions which include twisting handle secateurs for people with weak wrists, left- and right-handed tools, and compact models for people with small hands.

Once again, there is no need to buy every size tool in the cutting range - you could buy the secateurs and a telescopic pruning pole and blade for all the other pruning jobs. Pruning poles and blades are sold separately but usually next to each other on the display cabinet; they often have other attachments that you can add to the pole but the blade is really all you need. Loppers are for getting tough with overhanging limbs from trees and old shrubs. They are extremely sharp and make very easy work of jobs that may seem daunting.

Most professionals use Felcos because they are eminently repairable. This is a good quality to look for when buying tools. It is also possible to buy easy-to-use sharpening kits for the blades of any brand of secateur. For cutting bigger tree limbs, you'll want a pruning saw. With it, you can saw on either side of a fat limb to get a clean cut when loppers aren't big enough.