When you start planting your first garden you will probably only want to use your bare hands to do the work. It probably won't take very long for you to learn just how helpful gardening tools can be. It is easy to be tempted into buying a whole bunch of tools after you've been working with your hands for a long time. Try to fight the temptation! You could spend far too much money on tools that are not going to be useful to you. Start slow with just a few essentials and then build your collection from there. If your garden is not very big you will probably learn that you only need a few simple tools to do the work. Use the tools we talk about in this article to begin your gardening tool collection. Mini Hacksaw

Every gardener needs a good and sturdy pair of gardening gloves. Gardening gloves protect your hands while you work with your plants and with the earth. Using your bare hands to dig in the dirt can feel very satisfying but gloves are usually necessary for the purposes of protection. One example of this is the rosebush: wearing gardening gloves will help keep your hands safe from the sharp thorns that stick out of rose stems. Heavy duty hacksaw

Gloves also provide protection for your hands when you work with substances that will leave residue behind like fertilizer and compost. There are a lot of bugs and other creatures that are going to take up residence in your garden; your gloves keep you from having to touch them directly.

Pitchforks are wonderfully useful gardening tools, even for gardeners who have no plans for large gardens. A pitchfork is, basically, a large scale trowel or spade (it does the same work, it just does more of it). Pitchforks are great earth turners, compost movers and soil aerators. Compost needs to be turned as it breaks down and decomposes-you will need to have a pitchfork to help you with the turning. If you don't turn your compost it will just get hard and you won't be able to use it. Stubby Claw Hammer

For gardeners who plant and work with the actual ground (instead of containers) a shovel is a necessity. For gardeners who garden over large plots of land, a shovel with a long handle is something that they must purchase. Shovels are good for quickly and easily scooping and moving dirt. It is certainly possible to do the same thing with your hands but your shovel will give you nicer looking results. Trying to transport dirt, earth and other items without a shovel just makes your job as a gardener that much harder. Your long handled shovel will save you a lot of time and strain as you work in your garden. Gardening can be a great hobby or a great job! As you become more proficient at gardening don't be surprised if you find yourself tempted by all of the tools that you find at the gardening store or nursery. Instead of spending too much money on tools you may never use begin with the basics. Eventually you will figure out what tools you really need and which tools aren't really necessary.