This is the second of two blogs on my favourite gardening tools…the ones I pull out every time I rush out for my five minute gardening fling. You can find the first three here.

1. Kneeler

A kneeler is completely essential for me. I don’t get specially dressed for gardening, so I use a kneeler to stop my clothes from getting covered with dirt or wet, but it’s also vital for saving my ageing joints too. I also pull it out if it’s wet and I want somewhere to sit without getting a wet bottom. My kneeler is very old, a gift from Joules many years ago, but I found this kneeler, by Burgon and Ball, which is almost identical in size, and, crucially, has a handle for carrying it around, as well as hanging it up. Obviously there is lots of choice here - but I love canvas, and I love a print!

2. Hori hori knife

This is a truly excellent tool. It can be used as a trowel, a weeder, a bulb planter and it also has a serrated edge, which will cut stubborn roots underground and slash dead plant material at the end of the season. It’s a great option if you’re of the minimalist persuasion as it can do a serviceable impression of several different tools, including my beloved widger (see previous blog for a eulogy to this). My Hori hori knife is from Japeto and I can vouch for its brilliance and durability, but of course, there are other models available.

3. Edging shears

Okay. I know this is niche, but in the summer and autumn, these shears are an essential part of my five minute armoury. I love these Fiskars shears because you can swivel them around depending on which way you are cutting. Of course you can totally just use your kitchen scissors, but if you’re edging a lawn once a week over several weeks, it’s worth having a dedicated tool that makes this into a joy rather than a chore. They also have a model with long handles, so if you find crouching or bending difficult, you don’t have to.

x Laetitia

I do a weekly newsletter, full of all the five minute things I do to keep the garden going, along with a bit of personal stuff (mostly how hard I’m trying, and how catastrophically I’m failing, to be a good parent!)