Girl's guide to shovels

Often I look into the tool shed and there is an array of garden tools. Most are self explanatory but I had a problem with shovels. I have my favorite shovel to use. This I normally use for everything. This is wrong. Shovels have been designed with different jobs in mind.I often found myself saying, just pass me the one with the green handle. So I did some research about the various designs, models and usages and I would like to share these with you.

To put it in terms of make-up, you could use an eyeliner pencil for just about everything, but we don't because we know there are differences that make one product better over another. We use a different pencil for eyebrows, eyelids and eyeliner. This is the same for shovels, why make our life more difficult by using the wrong one?

Below we will look at different types of shovels, and spades and discuss the benefits of each.

Okay it looks like a car has driven over this, I know. No it hasn't it is designed to look like that. The ergonomic shape helps those who are prone to back problems. It also makes shoveling easier if you are tall.

If you have ever cleared snow with a regular shovel, you will already see the benefits of this. The wide mouth helps to scrape a wide area that you plan to clear. Often you aren't so much lifting the snow as pushing it to a designated area.

The reviews of this transplanting shovel make great reading. Fiskars is a company I have known about since I was at school when I bought a pair of orange handled scissors. I still have those scissors today 35 years later. The company was started in Finland 360 years ago.

They take a product that people claim can't be improved and do it.

With this shovel they have done the same. With a steel blade that cuts through even heavy clay. This is a shovel specially designed for aiding with transplanting. It not only digs the hole the plant will be transfered to, it is used  to lever out the root ball. This is essential when transplanting as disturbing the roots can be detrimental  to the plant.

Here again is one from Fiskars. If you have a lot of heavy digging to do, this is the baby for you. The long sturdy handle makes it ideal. This is a heavy shovel but instead of this being a problem, it aides in the digging.

Everyone should have one. They should be kept in the car for emergencies or taken camping with you. This tool could save your life. Not only could it dig you out if you get stuck in your car. it can act like a shovel or a hoe.The Gerber brand is known for being sturdy, and of high quality.

As the name implies, these are used for borders and edges. Straight edges in the garden not only makes your garden look tidier, it makes it easier to maintain. The tools that cut a clean edge be it curved or straight are designed with this in mind.