Garden Tool Basket
A Garden tool basket holds all the small hand tools and supplies you use frequently in the garden – it’s like having an extra set of hands. It will save you much frustration over lost items and save trips across the garden!
The supplies that gardeners use are admittedly humble, but they are important. Why not corral them conveniently and yes, stylishly, with a tool basket?
Watch the video!
It’s so much more fun than just reading!
In the video I share what I have stocked my basket with and why, and give you ideas about what to include in yours.
I think some of the items will come as a surprise to you!
Basket
Let’s begin with the basket. I recommend a wine bottle basket.
They come with sturdy handles and deep pockets, so your tools won’t fall out. They may be made of wicker, wood slats, or wire and are available at craft stores and online. I use a basket made to hold 6 bottles of wine, but a 4-bottle basket may suit you.
In the Basket
- Digging tools: hand trowel, spoon, and dibble sticks for transplanting and planting. A dibble stick is simply a stick, usually driftwood picked up on the beach, that works just like a finger to push seeds into the soil. Nice for keeping clean hands and nails!
2. Pruners: you might have more than one pair, plus a pair of scissors. I add a screwdriver to this pocket of my garden tool basket.
From left to right: Felco, Thai kitchen shears (my favorite for harvesting herbs for cooking!), cheap pair from Dollar store, child’s scissors, screwdriver. Learn to take basil cuttings and grow a basil plant indoors.
3. Water bottle; the best way to stay hydrated is to take your water with you!
4. Small (cheap) paring knife and salt shaker with a cap. For salting and slicing up fresh veggies on the spot.
It helps to choose a knife with a colorful handle so it doesn’t get lost, or wrap washi tape around the handle to make it stand out.
5. Gloves: a light duty pair plus a heavy duty pair for working around brambles, stickery vines, and tomato plants. I especially like Flower Touch gloves. They breathe well and have nice grippy palms. For heavy duty, I like leather.
I also keep a roll of blue masking tape in the glove pocket of my basket. I use the tape for seed saving purposes while hand pollinating.
Learn why by watching the video. I talk a bit about seed saving.
6. Misc: small items that are more important than you might think!
- Pencils and pens for writing in your garden journal
- Sharpie for labeling wood plant stakes
- Handful of clothespins for securing shade cloth to trellis or other support structures
- Tape measure because gardeners are forever measuring things!
- Stretch tie or flagging tape to train vining plants to climb where you want them to. Great for squash, melons, gourds, morning glories, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more!
- Brightly colored yarn to mark hand-pollinated squash and melons for seed saving so that you can later come back and find your seed fruit.
These are the staple items in my garden tool basket. It is in constant use and has saved me untold unnecessary trips here and there to locate supplies.
This is a fun little organizational project that I really think will provide immediate benefits. Be sure to tailor the contents of your basket to suit your gardening needs.
If you are allergic to bees, consider keeping a bee sting remedy handy.
And feel free to leave suggestions in the comments for other readers to glean. I would appreciate it very much! Thank you!
Seed Saving Resources
BEGINNER’S BOOKS ON HOW TO SAVE YOUR OWN VEGETABLE SEEDS
✳️ Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth (visit the link and type book name into search bar) https://www.thriftbooks.com/share/?code=uZ1g4H5sPErE9V6C87uMpQ%253d%253d
✳️ The Seed Garden by Jared Zystro and Micaela Colley (visit the link and type book name into search bar) https://www.thriftbooks.com/share/?code=uZ1g4H5sPErE9V6C87uMpQ%253d%253d
ADVANCED BOOKS ON HOW TO SAVE YOUR OWN VEGETABLE SEEDS
✳️ The Resilient Gardener by Carol Deppe (visit the link and type book name into search bar) https://www.thriftbooks.com/share/?code=uZ1g4H5sPErE9V6C87uMpQ%253d%253d
✳️ Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties by Carol Deppe (visit the link and type book name into search bar) https://www.thriftbooks.com/share/?code=uZ1g4H5sPErE9V6C87uMpQ%253d%253d
8 Comments
I am thinking a weeder would be handy. I know you could use a shovel to dig up weeds. However, a weeder would be nice. Maybe a small paper bag for the weeds you dig up.
Hi Deborah, thanks for sharing your ideas! What kind of weeder do you like to use? ~Michele
One like this.
https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/gardening-and-yard-care/products/weeders/hand-weeder-200s-373600-1001
I see, that would be handy, thank you Deborah! 🌼 Michele
One like this. Here’s a picture.
https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/gardening-and-yard-care/products/weeders/hand-weeder-200s-373600-1001
I always need a roll of leaf bags with my garden supplies. Love the wine basket for keeping those tools organized.
Yes, that would be handy. Thank you, Dianne.
I find a backpack works well for holding garden tools. Not as attractive as your basket. But it means I have both hands free for carrying pickings back to the house.