Publication Date: Friday, August 19, 2005
Do try this at home
Do try this at home
(August 19, 2005) With proper tools, beginning gardeners can grow their own
by Aurora Masum-Javed
Gamble Garden Center's director of horticulture Merrill Jensen was introduced to gardening at the ripe old age of 2, when he was caught red-handed scrounging through flower pots for worms.
On his 7th birthday, Jensen was lucky enough to receive crocus bulbs from his grandmother rather than the toy trucks and baseball cards most 7-year-olds beg for. Although he may not have fully appreciated the gift at the time, Jensen said it was the final push that sent him flying into the green world of gardening.
Growing up gardening, though, isn't the only way to become an expert. With the right tools, a little bit of advice and some experimentation, anyone can grow a green thumb.
To begin with, Jensen advises that a new gardener make a quick trip to the nursery for tools and starter plants. While he warns that gardening tools are often a little pricey, he said that they can last a lifetime with proper care.
"When you buy tools, spend the money up front. Get the best you can afford, and you'll have them forever. If you're pinching pennies, you'll end up buying more tools in the long run," he said.
Although Jensen's personal collection contains close to 20 tools, he recommends that a novice start simply. His list of starter tools includes a shovel, a spading fork, a rake, pruners, a hoe, hedge shears and a hand cultivator.
On top of those seven, Ed Holm, consulting horticulturist at Wegman's Nursery in Redwood City and retired horticulture teacher, named five more essential tools that every gardener should have -- a square-ended shovel, a small leaf rake, a large leaf rake, a push lawn mower, grass clippers and a hand trowel.
The first step to filling a tool shed, though, is deciding where to shop. While larger chain stores are an easy one-stop shop, there are many independent nurseries in Palo Alto and nearby that usually have experts on hand who can explain how to use the tools.
"Generally people in the independent nurseries are better informed and will give you good advice. My experience with places like Home Depot is that they're there just to do their jobs, and aren't as knowledgeable," Jensen said.
Each nursery also has its own specialties and character. Jensen's favorite place to purchase tools is Smith & Hawken at Stanford Shopping Center. However, he also recommends Common Ground, an organic nursery in Palo Alto, as a great place for serious gardeners.
"If you go to Common Ground, you're going to spend a lot more money, but the tools are going to last a lot longer. They've done their homework and tracked down the things that gardeners find useful," Jensen said.
The variety of tools at Common Ground and other nurseries may make it difficult for a novice to sort out what is needed from what is extraneous.
"We do our best to answer their questions, and we give classes on how to use tools," said Patricia Becker, Common Ground store manager.
It's also important to be specific when going into the store. Rather than simply asking for a shovel, Holm said a beginner should try to find a pointed shovel that is at least eight inches wide with a long handle. Smaller shovels won't be as effective, and a long handle makes digging less strenuous.
For transporting large amounts of soil or compost, Holm prefers a square-ended shovel of the same size because it holds more material. However, there are jobs that an eight-inch shovel is just too big for. A hand trowel, which is a small shovel, is best for work such as planting small flowers.
Jensen also recommends a spading fork to work through the soil. One of the problems people cite most in Palo Alto is that the soil is like clay. In order to get the soil into workable condition, compost must be mixed in, not just placed on top. A spading fork is good for digging down into the hard soil and opening it up.
Once the digging is done and the soil is turned, gardeners must use a new tool to smooth out the soil and keep the garden clean. This is where rakes come in handy. When purchasing a rake, Holm recommends getting three different types.
"Get a straight-back rake for smoothing out clods and uneven places in the garden, or for scratching up a lawn that has to be reseeded. A large leaf rake for clearing the lawn and sidewalks is especially important in Palo Alto since you're not allowed to use leaf blowers," he said. "You'll also need a small leaf rake to get in under bushes, hedges and shrubs. You don't want to be reaching in underneath a rose bush and scratching up your hand."
A beautiful garden can be ruined by a multitude of things, but weeds are among the easiest to deal with. Using a hoe or hand cultivator, gardeners can easily loosen the soil and pull out weeds. Both are also good for working through the surface of the soil.
One tool that is "new" relative to other gardening tools (it came out about 15 years ago according to Jensen) is the winged weeder.
"The winged weeder is a cultivator and weeder. It replaces a hoe, and instead of hacking up and down, you push back and forth. It's a lot easier on your back," Jensen said of his favorite gardening tool gift.
In order to keep a garden from looking like a jungle, plants must be trimmed and shaped. Pruners or shears are the magical tools for the job. They also happen to need more care than other tools and are often more expensive, but they are a necessity. Holm called hand pruners the most important cutting equipment since they are so multipurpose. Cutting larger branches, though, involves larger shears.
"My original pair of pruners, I've had for 25 years. I carry them daily. They get a work out. We're always cutting something back or off or down," Jensen said.
Two added accessories that most gardeners find helpful are a handy pair of gloves and some knee pads.
"Gloves are a must, and a lot of people like knee pads. The gloves that I use are called Atlas assembly grips. They're assembly-line gloves, and they're like a second skin," Jensen said.
The last two tools are only necessary for those who want to manage their own lawn. Holm recommends a push lawn mower because an electric mower can pollute as much or more than a new car. In general, Holm warns against power tools because they are such heavy polluters.
"Another good reason for having your own lawn mower is because professional gardeners cut everybody's lawns. Weeds from other people's lawns stick to the mower and can get transplanted into your lawn," he said. "If you have your own lawn mower and do your own cutting, then you don't have to worry about weeds brought in from some place else. Lawn mowing also provides as much exercise as jogging."
For gardeners who do decide to take on the lawn as well as the soil, a pair of grass clippers is important for trimming down places that the mower might miss such as next to the sidewalk.
Once all of the tools are accounted for, it's time to pick out the plants and start gardening.
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