Top Tools for Maintaining Your Garden

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Shovel

A shovel is the number one tool in most gardeners' sheds and it's probably the most versatile. An angled blade makes the shovel ideal for attacking piles of soil, sand, and other materials you need to load or move. It's also typically the tool of choice for digging plants out of the ground and is great for waving dramatically as you chase deer, rabbits, or other unwanted critters away.

Here's a hint: Sharpen your shovel's blade every season; this will make digging much easier. And take note of how well the shovel's handle is attached to the blade. That junction is usually the weakest point of the tool.