Tool Time: Top five time-saving tools for the garden
Stand-up weeder photo courtesy of Yard Butler
Five Tools That Will Save You Time in the Garden
A guest post by Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware’s Home Expert
While a garden is often considered a labor of love, who wants to spend hours doing what could be accomplished in minutes? These days there are so many gardening tool options that can allow you to save time on everyday gardening tasks such as weeding and pruning. Here are my five top tool recommendations:
#1) Yard Butler Stand-Up Weeder. This tool allows you to stay standing while you pull weeds from your lawn or garden – it puts much less stress on your body and the task gets done faster.
#2) Fiskars Ergonomic Pruning Shears. Made by the folks that produce the famous orange-handled scissors, these shears are just as comfortable in your hand. They make quick work of pruning small branches on bushes, roses and ornamental flowers.
#3) Toro Electronic Cordless Mower. This lawn mower requires no gas and runs for up to 45 minutes on each electric charge. It’s good for the environment and saves you time since you won’t have to run out to the gas station every time you need to mow.
#4) Collapsible Vinyl Garden Bags. These bags help speed up the process of keeping your yard free of debris and clutter. They spring open and hold themselves up for easy loading and dumping; when you are done, just collapse and store. They’ll also save money by eliminating the need to buy plastic or paper lawn bags.
#5) A Quality Wheelbarrow. This is an investment that will last for generations. In fact, mine belonged to my wife’s great uncle and must be 80 years old. Whether you need to mix concrete, haul dirt around your yard, or give your kids a ride, a wheelbarrow can do it all!
For more product tips and advice to help you turn your garden to-do list into a to-done list, head to your local Ace Hardware store or visit www.acehardware.com.
Most gardeners agree that the best part of working outdoors is getting your hands dirty. Feeling that soil on your skin, getting dirt under your fingernails - what’s not to love? Alas, our hands can only take us so far and sometimes you need a little help. While there are a myriad of power tools to make quick work of just about any job, I still prefer hand-powered tools to achieve garden nirvana. 
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