Gardening Tools And Striking Tools

The curved blades of a bypass pruner make clean cuts.

Anvils cut in much the same way as a knife on a cutting board – the blade is pushed through the material onto the anvil, crushing the soft tissue and damaging your plants. An anvil's main function is cutting up dead wood, but bypass pruners can do that job too. Bypass pruners work like scissors and don't crush your plant material. You can also use them to cut herbs or deadhead flowers, although snips give you more agility.

Snips are a handy companion for secateurs. while they aren't as strong, they are more agile for picking flowers and herbs from your garden.

TIP - These may be the smallest tools in your box, so are the easiest to leave behind in the garden when you head indoors. Get a pouch for your belt and they'll be by your side forever!

Pruners get dropped, forgotten and then ruined, so keep them safe in a pouch!

Telescopic tree pruner

The serrated blade or pruners at the end of a pole let you reach branches more than 3m high. Use the cord either to activate cutting or reduce the pull distance for each cut. Curved blades help you grip the branch. Straight blades tend to slip.

Grass shears

With these tools, the handles are at angles to the blades, making it easier to edge or cut grass where it's difficult to get your mower in. You can get long or short handles, depending on your garden layout and what obstacles there are.

Loppers

Use long-handled loppers for pruning parts of plants that sit above your head. The strong blades cut through limbs and vines that are thicker than 6cm. The curved blades mean you get a better grip on branches.

Topiary shears

When trimming topiaries, you need a steady hand so you don't inadvertently destroy the shape. Topiary shears are spring-loaded to open automatically and you have to deliberately apply force to make a cut.

Usage tips

Try before you buy tools for two reasons. Firstly, to ensure they're a comfortable weight, especially if you're raising your arms to do cutting. Secondly, to ensure the handles sit comfortably in your grip, given our hands are all different sizes.
Clean them after use, as dirty tools can spread pests and diseases. Keep them oiled and sharp for better long-term performance.