Gardener's Wish List

Hori-Hori. Photo Credit: R. Robert

Currently we are overwhelmed with media talking about wish lists and Christmas lists, all in the hope that you will bring your wish list dollars to their store or have their product on your wish list. As a gardener, my wish list consists of garden tools since it is a little cold for plants here in Pennsylvania. As you can imagine, working at the Arboretum has introduced me to some invaluable tools that make life easier in the garden. I would like to share these treasures with you because you might want to add them to your wish list just in time for the holidays.

Hori-Hori, an item on my Gardener's Wish List. Photo Credit: R. Robert

A tool coveted by our volunteers and helpful in many aspects of the garden is a Hori-Hori garden knife. This handy tool resembles a knife and can be serrated on one or both sides. It is a great tool for digging out those weeds like Pinellia ternata with roots guaranteed to break apart when attempting to remove them by hand. This tool simplified the planting of 400 bulbs in my garden this fall. It was also extremely useful in “sawing” apart the overgrown roots of my summer container tropicals as I prepared them for over-wintering this fall. The Hori-Hori is such a handy tool I keep it in a holster along with my prunes while I work in the garden. Next to gloves, this is probably the most common tool volunteers use when working at the Scott Arboretum.

Tree Wrench. Photo Credit: R. Robert

Another obscure tool that volunteers have found invaluable is the tree wrench. This device receives its greatest use during the winter months while the winter woods crew of volunteers are removing invasive plants from the Crum Woods. This tool uses leverage to pull out large weeds like pesky Norway maple seedlings. The tree wrench comes in various sizes appropriate for the size of the weed you are removing. It makes the task of cleaning up a wooded or overgrown area gentler on a gardener’s back.

These are our favorites. What tools are on the top of your wish list?

If you would like try out these and many more tools consider volunteering at the Scott Arboretum.