We’ve all got tools laying around everywhere. The spade learning against the shed, the handy little box of trowels, hand folks, and gloves we keep in the greenhouse, the hosepipe mounted on the kitchen wall. All of which are essential for us and our gardens. But there are so many more useful tools you can use for your gardening work - some of which admittedly could be described as not really essential but cool gadgets to have.

We’ve made a list of 10 tools you’ll find useful including a few you may not be aware of but everyone will help you in the garden. So why not treat yourself, or get the family to treat you, to one or two of the gadgets on our list?

10 Gardening Tools You Didn't Know You Needed

1 - Soil Moisture Meter

Such a useful piece of kit and one that will help us monitor the quality of soil in our gardens. Something which I suspect many of us don’t pay as much attention to as we should. A soil moisture meter is especially useful for those of us who struggle with over or under-watering. The tool has a probe that's inserted into the soil and this gives a reading of the moisture level. This allows you to keep to a watering schedule for different plants. This in turn may reduce the amount of water you use and will help your plants grow. A word of warning though, the tool does need careful as the probe can be fragile.

2 - Hand-held Garden Cultivator

Who wouldn’t want one of these? In reality of course it’s a very simple tool that is used for turning soil, mixing in nutrients, and uprooting weeds. It can be used in the smallest of spaces and is perfect for preparing planting areas and aerating soil. On the downside, it's not suitable for larger areas and the manual effort needed might be tiring for some users.

3 - Hori Hori Garden Knife

It sounds lethal and in truth it is very sharp but a Hori Hori, which is a Japanese gardening knife, is a versatile tool for digging, planting, weeding, and cutting. Its serrated edge is perfect for slicing through roots and the flat edge can be used for digging or planting bulbs. It’s the Swiss Army knife of the gardening world. But do be careful when handling and storing the tool.

4 - Sack Barrow

Not something you’ll use every day but so useful for moving around heavy articles and will be a Godsend to those of us who suffer with back pain. Easily move anything from bags of compost to garden statutes to heavy planters. If you get one of these, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without one. However, there is a downside. Sack barrows are quite large so need plenty of storage room and they are hard to use on uneven or rough terrain.

5 - Bulb Planter

Sometimes called a hand dibber, a bulb planter is such a simple tool but does exactly what it says on the tin. A metal shaft with a point is mounted on a short wooden handle. Simply push the point into the soil and the tool removes a core of soil, creating a perfect hole for the bulb. Such a quick and easy way to speed up the process of planting bulbs. This tool speeds up the planting process, ensures all bulbs are planted at the same depth. They can be found for less than a fiver so is a very inexpensive addition to your garden tool box.

6 - Extendable Pruning Saw

Get to those hard-to-reach places and keep your trees and bushes neat and trim with an extendable pruning saw. It’s pretty obvious what it does but the extendable handle allows you to prune trees and large shrubs without having to over-reach or use a ladder. It’s a useful tool and although it doesn’t give you the precise control, you’d have by getting up close and personal with your tree it takes a lot of hassle out of those pruning jobs we all have to do in the autumn or winter.

7 - Garden Kneeler and Seat

Protect your knees and your clothes with a kneeler. It’s so convenient and also provides comfort and support when you’re busy in the border or doing some weeding. It can be used as a seat or flipped over to use as a kneeler. The disadvantage is that it's an additional item to store, though to be fair it won’t take up that much room in the shed.

8 - Plant Tying Tool

Honestly, this is so cool. Admittedly it does come under the 'fancy gadget you don't really need' category but a plant tying tool is great fun to use. And it is useful. Especially if you have problems with your hands and it's difficult for you to manually tie up a plant. It does what it says on the tin. It quickly and gently secures plants to stakes or trellises and is very effective. And just so much fun to use.

9 - Long-Handled Weeder

The Long-Handled Weeder allows for weed removal without bending or kneeling, reducing back strain. It's especially useful for tackling deep-rooted weeds. This tool is a boon for maintaining weed-free beds with minimal effort. Its disadvantage is that it may not be as effective in very compact soils or in tightly planted areas.

10 - Seedling Transplanter

Essentially a steel tube and so easy to use. If you have a vegetable garden or allotment a transplanter will save you so much time. Simply push the tube into the soil, pop in the seedling at the top and it travels down the tube and is ‘automatically’ planted. It not only helps in maintaining proper spacing and depth but is so easy to use.

All the tools we’ve mentioned are available on sites such as Amazon or in hardware stores. From the precision and comfort of the Hori Hori Garden Knife and the Garden Kneeler and Seat, to the efficiency of the Bulb Planter and Seedling Transplanter, these tools are not just about making the job easier – they're about transforming gardening into a more productive, enjoyable, and sustainable pastime.

But, of course, once you’ve added some tools to your toolbox you’ll be itching to get out into the garden and do some planting. We’ve got loads of plants and ornamental trees in our nursery all ready to be packed and dispatched to you.