You love getting your hands dirty, but there’s no reason to take that sentiment to the extreme. There are many options for gardening tools at your local plant nursery—how can you know which ones you really need and which ones will be left collecting dust in the garage? There are only a few essential items that every gardener absolutely needs. Just like pruning and deadheading, it’s time to trim the fat and get down to basics.

Pruning shears are a must when the blades are sharp and they’re small in size. Go for a lightweight model for pruning perennials. Great brands include Corona and Felco, but whatever works best for you is going to be the “best pruning shears.” Consider what’s in your garden (ahem, how tough some of those plants are), how much weight you really want to carry around and shop accordingly.

A Little Off the Top

Scissors are another essential for snips and pruning, and you don’t need anything special. Regular household scissors often do the trick for cutting herbs, opening potting soil, cutting strings or slicing open seed packets. Don’t let anyone tell you that you need “gardening scissors” for the simplest of tasks. There might come a time when they’re necessary, such as harvesting vegetables, but for the average gardener that extra pair in the junk drawer will work just fine.

Other times, you’ll be facing a tough job and only a saw will suffice. A fixed-blade traditional “pull to cut” saw with a light curve is great for thicker branches. You can get a clean, fast cut through even the biggest limbs. This can also be used for cutting down smaller trees. Saws are especially important for bigger projects or if you’re seriously revamping the yard.

Well Groomed

A shovel and a rake are to gardening what your comb and brush are to getting ready for a night out. Sharpshooters are great, compact shovels featuring a narrow blade that is perfect for deeper holes. Even better, it can be sharpened. This means that once you invest in a quality gardening shovel, it’ll last for life. “Regular” shovels aren’t designed for planting. As for rakes, you may need a few (shrubs, removing leaves and moving mulch all require different rakes).

Lastly, a weeder can be your secret weapon. Also dubbed “dandelion diggers,” they make pulling up weeds simple. This task is nobody’s favorite, so don’t spend any more time on it than necessary. Get in and out quickly, making a dirty job not so dirty after all.

 

 

As you head into the garden to start your spring prep work, do you find yourself doing the same old thing year after year? Maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit—start by looking at the hottest gardening trends of 2014 at your local plant nursery or greenhouse. Things are popular for a reason, so it may be worth your efforts to go with the flow this year. One of the most desired features are grafted plants, which happens when the top of a plant is connected to the root of another plant. This helps prevent disease and improve strength, and can even up the flavor content.

 

Gardeners are also opting for more raised beds, and even stackable ones, as a means to change the landscape, make projects easier on the back and provide some more contrast in an otherwise flat garden. You can also add some containers to the landscape, which make moving and gardening design easy. However, for an even bigger game changer, consider these ideas:

 

Change What You Garden 

 

Who says gardening only involves plants, fruits, veggies and flowers? Why not keep a few bees and enjoy your own honey, as well as some free pollination while you’re at it? Bees are becoming increasingly endangered, too, so you’ll also be helping the planet on a bigger scale. If bee keeping just isn’t for you, you can lure these gardeners to your yard by planting things they love, like a variety of bright flowers.

 

Another option is choosing what you plant based on the potential for foraging or health benefits. For example, aloe plants and ginger both provide excellent health benefits. Encouraging the growth of safe mushrooms and healthy veggies means your next meal is literally in your own backyard. Think about what supplements you take (or should take) and plant them yourself to save some serious cash at the pharmacy.

 

Get Creative with What You Grow

 

If you’re like most people, you grow the same fruits and veggies every year because you know how to care for them and you like them. Break out of your pattern and choose some exotic or flat out strange veggies for planting. How about some Dinosaur kale or black tomatoes? Research the health benefits, and if you have kids, let them take a crack at picking the weirdest veggies—and then trying them when they’re ripe.

 

Likewise, the gardening of “super foods” has boomed in popularity this year. From berries to beets, quinoa to avocados, it’s easy to up your super food intake when you grow it yourself. Plus, there’s no worrying about it being really organic, and you can’t get more local than your own garden.

As the weather warms up, right now is prime time for prepping your garden, yard, pots and containers for the blooming season. It is also time to visit your favorite local nursery and garden center. Anyone with a green thumb is likely itching to get their hands dirty, but there are only so many plants, bulbs and seeds that are going to thrive if planted right now. Instead, focus on early gardening projects that will help get your home ready for the season while satisfying your urge to get started. There’s more to it than seedlings and soil, plus you’ll get a head start to make the most of your most gorgeous garden yet.

 

Start by clearing out those drainage ditches—they’re likely full of leaves and muck from the winter. You need to help spring rains get a good runoff, and the best soil is drainable. Early spring is a low grow time for vegetables, making it the perfect season for drain ditch spring cleaning. Create compost when you can, with dead leaves for example, because carbon-heavy soil is something plants can’t resist.

 

 

Repair and Reap the Rewards

 

Survey the garden and see if there are any bowed flower bed sides. Trellises and fencing might also be in need of maintenance. Those snowy, wet winters can do a number on outdoor wood, and when rot sets in a replacement will be in order. However, bowed sides can be fixed with new stakes, and repairs to fences are best done in the spring when there’s little growth to get in the way. Plus, not as many roots are available to be disturbed. Install fence posts later in the season, after the spring rains have drained.

 

It’s never too early (or late) to start weeding and mulching bald spots. It’s less work to pull weeds right now, since they have shallow roots. Pick up some mulch or ground cover to fill bald spots and prevent new weeds from growing. Putting down plastic sheeting works well as a cover, just as long as you flip it every week to avoid slug infestations. However, be careful when mulching close to beds or near fruit trees, keeping it a few inches away to avoid plant or bark rot.

 

Almost Ready

 

Depending on where you live, wait for a dry spell and top dress the gardens with compost or a seasoned manure mix to get ready for planting. Don’t dig it too early; soil ecosystems are complex and best left to “fester” on their own. Don’t worry—any nutrients added to the top dressing will work their way through the soil naturally. It might seem like compost piles aren’t actually “composting,” but looks can be deceiving.

 

Check the pH balance of soils, and if it’s less than 6.2 consider adding lime to the mix. In a perfect world, this is added many weeks before planting and using it as a quick fix isn’t recommended. It might shift the pH so quickly that the soil and future plants are shocked.

 

Finishing Touches

 

Don’t forget about the landscape beyond the garden, and spend a weekend raking dead leaves, which lets air and light get to the soil. This encourages gross growth, and it’s also a great time to re-seed the lawn. Metal rakings before re-seeding is a good idea, and make sure to keep the area watered well, at least until germination.

 

Finally, prune dead foliage, pull vegetable skeletons and thin ornamentals to encourage new growth. This is a task for the autumn, but if it was put off or another trimming is in order, it can only help. Now comes the best part—deciding what new plants, flowers or shrubbery you’ll be adding this year. Nothing compares to the joy of starting with a clean slate (or, in this case, yard).