Spading Fork
The ideal tool for turning soil the spading fork’s tines easily bite into compacted soil and the tines are thicker, shorter and fewer in number than its cousin, the pitchfork. When turning beds early in the season or at the parched height of summer, the spading fork is a must for the gardener’s tool shed.
Shovels
Not to be overlooked on this list, the shovel is one of the fundamental basics of the tool shed. Gardeners will often have at least one rounded shovel that comes to a point at the end, allowing for heavy-duty digging in dirt.
Hoe
Hoes of all types are synonymous with gardening. They help with the cultivation of the ground and weeding in the summer season. Of the numerous types, the often-overlooked scuffle hoe offers excellent soil-turning properties. Unlike the traditional hoe with its solid blade, the scuffle (or action) hoe is a band of metal that can be sharpened to cut into the earth, taking weeds out at the roots.
Trowel
This is classic and, if seedlings are involved, indispensable tool for any gardener in getting seedlings at the correct depth. A solidly forged steel blade will keep this tool from bending. It helps to have a colorful handle, too, as this small tool tends to be the most-misplaced object in the tool shed.
Mattock
A little heavy duty for most day-to-day gardening, the mattock is essential for expanding garden beds into undeveloped soil. The steel end of the tool is separated into two blades affixed 90 degrees to each other. The blade parallel to the ground loosens tough soil and works around small rocks. The other side balancing out that blade is perpendicular to the ground like the head of an ax. Though it tapers, it is not as sharp as an ax, allowing the user to cut through roots without worrying about dulling the blade.
Rake
Another of the humble garden tools that come in a variety of configurations is the rake. The most-often-used iteration is the steel bow head, or flat head rake, which has a smaller, heavier head than the leaf rake, allowing it to move heavier piles of debris and soil.