These days, so many tools are available to the home gardener, whether at your local garden center, superstore or an infomercial touting the benefits of their most recent garden invention. You could spend hundreds of dollars on all types of gardening gadgets, but when it comes right down to it, there are only a few true necessities in rose gardening.
Because we all know that the old saying "every rose has its thorn" is very true, your first order of business in stocking your rose gardening tool box will be a pair of very good gloves. A rose garden is no place for cute, cotton gloves that will only keep your fingers clean. You should select heavy, leather gloves with a cuff so that your hands will be protected especially while pruning your rose plants. Some roses even have tricky, tiny thorns along their stem and if your hands are unprotected, these will go into your skin like tiny, splinters as you grasp the stems to cut back growth.
Onto the subject of pruning, you will want to select a good set of pruning shears. Shears generally fall into two categories, only one of which should be used in rose gardening. The first type, the anvil pruner, has blades that meet on top of each other and if used on your roses, will squash the stems and canes. The preferred type of pruning shear is the bypass pruner, whose blades pass each other as they cut the stems, as would a pair of scissors. These protect the stems and canes of your roses as you are cutting back the plants. Select a pair that has a comfortable grip and is a good fit for the size of your hand, as you will be using these frequently in your rose gardening. You should also consider the locking device on the shears, especially if you have young children.
The next tools are so simple and yet so necessary in rose gardening: a rake, a spade and a shovel. Choose a garden rake with sharp, closely spaced metal tines rather than a leaf rake with widely spaced tines. This will help you level soil for your rose beds. A hand held spade will be indispensable for moving soil around your plants. You should also choose a long handled shovel for planting, selecting for size and comfort of use because, again, this is a tool you will be using over and over in your rose garden.
The final set of tools, to add to your collection, are involved in the watering and care of your plants. You will need a watering system and the long handled garden wand sprayer that attaches to a hose is a great choice. These wands make watering the roots of your plants a breeze, and help to reach those tricky hanging baskets as well. For feeding and applying pesticides, a pressure sprayer that also attaches to your garden hose will prove invaluable. Mixing and applying will be so simple with just the addition of this tool.
Once your tool collection is complete, you will be on your way to successful rose gardening, armed with all the necessities. Just these basics are enough to get you started in rose gardening or to keep up with the rose garden you are already enjoying.
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