These can knocked down with ease using a fork. It is very relaxing turning and knocking the soil in one motion, working the length of a bed or border, stooping once in a while to remove a stone or weeds. Last on the list I place the trowel. Once again it is not completely essential but is so useful that no gardener likes to do without one. It is used predominantly when planting out bedding and small plants but is also useful for weeding and aerating the soil around established garden specimens.
Cheap versions are a waste of time because they usually bend at the base of the handle.
That concludes my list of essentials. I am off to clear out the shed and throw away old tools and accumulated rubbish. You can find more articles in the archive under Soiled Hands . Your browser is not Java enabled.