KG494 Print Combined

$9.25 incl. GST
IMAGE from left Michael Moeller/Getty Images, moodboard/Getty Images
clockwise from top left With the right
pair of gloves, there’s nothing you
can’t handle; Footwear is an important
consideration too.
to the job, by choosing a thicker glove from their
range. For prickly, stingy or sappy jobs, wear a pair
of heavy rubber or leather full-length gloves.
Kneepads
A good, waterproof pair of kneepads makes the
job of weeding much more pleasant. I get mine
from a hardware store as I find they are wellmade,
long-lasting and as comfortable as you
can expect from something strapped around your
knees. Buy tradesman kneepads and, for wet or
winter weeding, get ones that have a protective
waterproof pad stuck on the outside of the pad.
Nailers kneepads are the ones I use.
Footwear
I still love my Red Band gumboots. There are other
options that I have tried – pull-on safety or work
boots, slip-on clog-type shoes and so on, but I
always come back to my Red Bands. They last
for ages, and don’t form creases where your foot
bends when weeding – it’s these creases that let
the water in. During winter I add a thick felt insole
and I’m good to go.
Extra tool considerations
Sometimes, if a tool is just not quite right – shovel
handle too long, rake too wide – you can modify it
to better suit your needs. Do what you need to do
to make it comfortable to use.
When a longer reach is needed, use extendable,
long-handled loppers or saws. I came late to
the joys of long-handled tools (goodness knows
why, I am short so you would have thought I’d be
reaching for any long tool to help). My first longhandled
tool was a Fiskars lopper, which I bought
because it was on special, and it has been a joy to
use – it remains sharp, is light and manoeuvrable
enough to use up high for long periods of time. It
has done away with a lot of scary (I get vertigo!)
ladder time for me.
A good tool is an investment piece and should
be looked after – always make a mental note
where you put your tool down in the garden,
especially secateurs, but also your trowel,
knife, hand fork and so on, so you have a place
to start looking when you realise you have ‘lost’
them. Also paint the handles orange, so much
easier to find than a camouflage brown or green.
And, if you regularly lose tools and fail to find
them, then (and I can hardly believe I am going
to say this...) cheaper tools may be a better
long-term option for you. It can be dispiriting,
not to mention costly, to repeatedly lose an
expensive tool.
If you have long weeding or gardening
sessions, buy tools that are ergonomically
designed. This will enable you to work for longer
with less wear and tear on your body.
Arm yourself with a selection of tools
that will make the job both more enjoyable
and more effective – your time and energy
is precious.
ISSN 2423-0626
WINTER 2020
The gardener’s toolkit
The
essentials list
Tools every
gardener needs
For everything you need to know about tools
is that new
gadget worth it?
Which ones will go
the distance
DiY
projects
Upcycled pallet garden
+ tool rack
The tool
makers
Kiwis designing broad forks
+ building our greenhouses
On Sale
Now
The Gardener’s Toolkit
For everything you need to know about
tools, from building a tool rack to knowing
which lawnmower you need, pick up our
latest Kiwi Gardener Quarterly – on sale
now at supermarkets, bookstores and
convenience stores, or call 0800 77 77 10.
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