Top 5 Tools to Get Your Garden Ready for Spring

Good tools turn spring prep from a chore into a satisfying job. Sharp blades make clean cuts that heal fast. A decent spade saves your back. The five tools below cover most of what spring throws at you.

Sharp secateurs

Bypass secateurs are the single most-used tool through spring. Use them for shaping shrubs, removing deadwood and clean pruning of feature trees. Keep them sharp and sap-free for clean cuts.

Loppers

For branches too thick for secateurs but too thin for a saw. Long handles give leverage and reach into the canopy without ladders.

Quality spade and fork

A sharp spade with a foot rest makes planting holes quick work. A garden fork loosens compacted soil and lifts mulch without back strain.

Soil knife or hori-hori

The most versatile tool in the shed. Plant small specimens, divide perennials, slice through stubborn roots, weed and even measure planting depth. Get a serrated edge.

Pruning saw

For the branches that defeat the loppers. A folding tri-edge blade cuts cleanly and stores safely.

Three trees to plant in spring

Once your tools are sharp and your spring prep is done, here are three reliable trees worth getting in the ground.

Natchez Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica 'Natchez')

Fast-growing deciduous flowering tree that hits the ground running in spring and delivers white summer flowers.

Little Gem Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem')

Compact evergreen with year round structure and fragrant cream flowers. Spring planting allows roots to settle through summer.

Olive Tree (Olea europaea)

Mediterranean evergreen that thrives in lean soils. Planted in spring, established before winter.

Sharp tools, prepared soil, the right tree. That's the spring formula. Browse the full range of spring planting picks to find your next addition.