10 essential gardening tools every new gardener needs

One of the first things you’ll need is the right tools and we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 tools to see you through the main jobs in the garden. We also have round ups of more specific kit such as Japanese garden tools as well as expert reviews of tried and tested products, including the best garden hose, best cordless garden tools and best cordless mowers, for when you should need them.

Alternatively, if you're looking at growing vegetables, we've prepared a guide to the essential kit for the veg plot. If it's kids you're getting into gardening for the first time, we've got a list of children's gardening sets and lots of handy tips for gardening with children, too.

10 essential gardening tools for beginners

Take a look at our list of essential garden tools below:

Gloves

Before you start ripping up pesky weeds or pruning roses, you’ll need a pair of gardening gloves to protect your hands.

There are many different gloves available, suitable for different jobs and weather conditions but a good quality, multi-purpose pair like these "all seasons" gloves by Briers are ideal for most tasks.

Price: £2.49

Buy Briers All Seasons Gardener Gloves from Amazon

Secateurs

The pruning and tidying of plants is a regular garden task and a pair of secateurs will become one of your most useful pieces of kit. Garden clippers - a bit like scissors - which can be operated with one hand they are a worthwhile investment and will set you up for seasons to come.

We've tried and tested a wide range to identify the best secateurs available and the Okatsune 103 Bypass Secateurs review scored consistently well.

Price: £38.64

Buy Okatsune 103 Bypass Secateurs from Amazon

Hand trowel

A good garden hand trowel is useful for a whole host of jobs including hand weeding, planting, potting on and seed sowing.

This trowel by Wilkinson Sword is made from stainless steel, so it's rust resistant and long lasting plus it comes with a 10 year guarantee, so it's great value for money.

Price: £10.05

Buy Wilkinson Sword Hand Trowel from Amazon

Hand fork

A useful tool for planting in the garden, a hand fork will help break up compacted and clay soil and can cut through stony ground with ease.

This hand fork from Spear and Jackson has a strong, coated carbon steel head as well as an ergonomic, soft grip handle to protect your hand.

Price: £10.99

Buy Spear & Jackson Select Carbon Steel Weed Fork from Amazon

Watering can

To keep seedlings and young plants refreshed a watering can with a “rose” (the sprinkler attachment on the end of the watering spout) will distribute water more lightly and evenly.

A Haws watering can is a gardening classic and this model has a seven litre capacity as well as a brass rose for a gentle water spray. For more ideas, read our list of the best watering cans.

Price: £39.95

Buy Haws Watering Can from Harrods Horticultural

Hose

For established plants in beds and containers using a hose for watering is quicker, easier and puts far less strain on the back than using a can.

We've reviewed a whole range of the best garden hoses and hose spray guns and the Hozelock Pico Reel is a light and easy kit for a small space. It has good features, comes with a five-year warranty and is great value for money.

Price: £31.95

Buy Hozelock Pico Reel from Amazon

Spade

Essential for digging and planting a spade should be high on your garden tools list.

During our expert testing process for the best garden spade, we awarded Kent and Stowe’s Stainless Steel Digging Spade Best Buy status. The stainless steel blade cuts cleanly through the ground and it feels robust and comfortable to use.

Price: £24.99

Buy Kent and Stowe Stainless Steel Digging Spade from Amazon

Fork

A garden fork is just the thing for getting vegetable plots and borders ready for planting. Perfect for getting through stony soil, the back of the fork also breaks down clods ready for raking.

This digging fork from Spear and Jackson has polished stainless steel tines and an ergonomic grip so its comfortable to use.

Price: £34.99

Buy Spear & Jackson Select Stainless Digging Fork from Amazon

Hoe

For clearing weedy ground, a Dutch hoe will skim off weeds in no time.

We tried and tested a range of the best garden hoes to find which was the most effective and easy to use and our testers awarded the DeWit Dutch Hoe Best Buy status and full marks in every category.

Lightweight and easy to use, it hoes smoothly, is excellent quality and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Price: £29.99

Buy DeWit Dutch Hoe from Crocus

Rake

One of the most essential gardening tools, a ground rake breaks soil down to a fine tilth thats perfect for seed sowing. The wide head and teeth allow the tool to open and level the top surface of the soil, while tamping the ground with the back of the rake will help firm it down.

This ground rake from Burgon and Ball is made from stainless steel, has an ash handle and is endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Price: £32.95

Buy Burgon and Ball Ground Rake from Harrods Horticultural

To compliment your essential gardening tools, you might want to consider accessories such as a garden trug, gardening shoes and a garden kneeler for weeding. If you need somewhere to store your new kit, take a look at our best garden sheds round-up which is full of tips for what to look for when buying a new shed.