With so many out there, which gardening tools do you really need and which are the best when beginning gardening? These are the best 7 top gardening tools that we recommend to take you from season to season in your garden. 

Whether you are just starting out with a new home garden or updating your old tools, these are the 7 best tools that will help you handle most any gardening job. Please note that we use the term gardening to reference caring for all plants within your landscape. Some gardens may be areas sectioned off for specific purposes such as a vegetable garden flower garden, kitchen gardens, container plants, plants for hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, specific colors, or the more basic landscaping of foundation plantings, edging along walkways, or plants for patios, decks, porches. 

• Hose Pipe - Purchase at least a 50 foot hose and depending on how large your caring areas are you may want to purchase a 100 foot hose. The better quality you buy and properly care for your hose pipe, the longer it will last. Don't allow it to be where it could be driven over or animals (especially dogs) chew on it. Store it in a garage or shed in fall and bring back out in early spring. Check out our water hose recommendation (available in 50 or 100 foot lenghts). It is durable and comes with a spray nozzle and holder.
• Garden Hoe - Use a garden hoe to dig up deeply rooted weeds, light or surface cultivation, digging shallow holes for vegetable and perennial plants, laying out trenches for composting (food scraps such as potato skins, coffee grounds, old fruits, etc) and making shallow trenches for planting seeds. Our garden hoe recommendation is a 54 inch ash wood handle hoe with 6 inch head. 
• Leaf Rake - This will be most helpful in collecting leaves and other debris in your yard and garden areas. I prefer this type of rake to the flat ended cultivator style as they are generally heavier to use and as the go deeper into the soil, they can be exhausting. These light weight leaf rakes only gather up debris on the ground surface. If cultivating is needed, a garden hoe is much easier to handle. 
• Garden Spade - Does jobs such as digging holes for planting larger plants such as trees, shrubs and large perennials. Also use garden spades for cultivating, mixing compost and fertilizer into the soil and for turning compost. 
• Pruning Shears - You'll use pruning shears to remove dead or broken branches from your trees and shrubs, cut back ornamental grasses and perennials and deadhead flowers, harvest vegetables, herbs and fruits. 
• Transplanter or Garden Trowel - Plant perennials, vegetables and seeds with this trowel. We like this transplanter because of the measurements on the blade and its molded handle makes it easier to grip.
• Japanese Weeding Sickle - This sharp gardening tool is a wonderful helper in the garden. Use this Japanese Weeder to quickly move through areas removing weeds and even providing a quick cultivation of the soil (turning the soil). 

With those 7 gardening tool must haves, here are a 2 additional gardening implement you'll likely want to add if possible. 

• Garden Cart - I prefer the garden cart to a wheelbarrow. These are not you childhood wagons, they have long use dumping beds that'll carry you for years. Not only are garden carts useful for garden work, but are great helpers for unloading groceries and helping with laundry (if you hang dry). Use them for mixing soil blends, hauling plants or trash, and carrying bags of compost mix for mulching. This is an excellent gift idea for new gardeners and older gardeners. 
• Garden Caddy or Garden Bucket - Keep all of your garden supplies at hand in a garden bucket while out in the garden. Why make so many trips to the garage or shed each time you realize that you've forgotten something. It always happens. Or, if you're looking for a storage caddy that will store all of your gardening tools and supplies and be mobile, you'll love this garden caddy. This is similar to the one that I have been using for years. 

And, don't forget your gardening gloves and though not everyone uses them, a garden knee pad can often be a life saver in the garden and gardening bench.