| A gardener's trowel has a blade that curves on both | | | | roots when transplanting - to shorten the tops of irises |
| edges; it is usually about three inches wide, and | | | | or hemerocallis in resetting - for help in hand weeding - |
| rounded almost to a point which is sharpened so that it | | | | to cut flowers or remove seed stems - to tip |
| penetrates the soil easily. Those forged from a single | | | | raspberries - or for pruning slender branches when the |
| piece of steel are likely to break or bend at the neck | | | | pruner is not at hand. A grapefruit knife is ideal to use |
| when digging a stubborn plant or in hard packed soil. | | | | in hand weeding seed frames, or flats, or to stir up the |
| The kind with the shank permanently fastened in a | | | | soil. |
| smooth hardwood handle lasts longer and, too, a | | | | A hose is very convenient and saves many steps and |
| wooden handle is kinder to the hand and fewer blisters | | | | back-breaking labor when water is available under |
| appear. | | | | pressure, but for small and quick watering jobs, a |
| A trowel is used to dig shallow-rooted plants, to make | | | | sprinkling can of good size is a "must." |
| holes when resetting or setting out plants, to stir up | | | | A spade, for garden use only, (be sure it is not too |
| small areas of soil, to inspect the potato patch to see if | | | | heavy), or a good digging fork, or both, are needed in |
| new potatoes are setting on - to mention a few uses. | | | | every garden, large or small. There is always |
| Trowels for bulb planting and weeding have narrower | | | | something that needs digging up or something that |
| blades but one uses the wider-bladed type most of | | | | needs digging down. A dust gun for bug dust and a |
| the time. There is no garden tool which is misplaced or | | | | hand sprayer for liquid sprays can hardly be eliminated |
| lost more often than the garden trowel. The wise | | | | as garden necessities to fight insects and diseases. |
| gardener always has two of them-one in reserve in | | | | A good pair of garden gloves should be included on |
| order that precious time need not be spent in hunting | | | | every list. And a sharp pair of pruners. |
| for the lost one - it is sure to show up in due time. | | | | There are numerous items which are not absolutely |
| Two other very useful and much used "garden | | | | essential, or handmade substitutes may be used but all |
| helpers" may come from the kitchen discard - but if | | | | are useful in even the small garden-garden labels, plant |
| not, they will be welcome from Santa's pack - a | | | | ties, bamboo stakes, plant supports, garden lines for |
| kitchen butcher knife and a grapefruit knife. How often | | | | making straight rows, hedge and grass shears, shovel, |
| one needs a stout sharp knife in the garden to cut | | | | garden cart, sieve for sifting soil-all good suggestions |
| roots when dividing such plants as peony, dahlia, or | | | | for the Beginning Gardener's Christmas list. |
| hemerocallis - to shorten roots or remove broken | | | | |