I started with a handful of tools – a garden spade from my parents, a trowel, and a weeding fork. Last year I added cordless shears and a sit/kneel bench. Take your time selecting ergonomic tools that work for you. I discovered the hand-held pruners that I like by reading about them in The Wall Street Journal. Garden Tool A Great Lakes Resort Horticulturist Keeps Close at Hand

Store your equipment in one consistent place and put everything away at the end of your gardening session. ” A place for everything and everything in its place.” I’ve lost tools because I left them where I was working because I thought I would get back to that location the next day.

See my five basic gardening tools below.

Find accessories and at least one gardening outfit that is comfortable, washable, and stylish. When you are ready to work in your garden you won’t have to think about what to wear. Because I live in an area with many deer, and therefor lots of deer ticks, I dress in light colors to make spotting ticks easier. This also makes washing clothes easy – all my gardening clothes can go in the same tub of wash.

Wear sunscreen. A hat to shade your face and keep ticks out of your hair. Long pants and socks that come up under your pant leg. A long sleeve shirt, sunglasses, and gardening gloves.

Below are photos of my “go to” gardening gloves from Bellingham Glove. The first is a soft, pliable pair for general tasks. The second is for tackling thorny plants.