Surviving the Holidays Trowel In Hand
Most of my childhood was spent indoors due to allergies and a fear of insects. Both have since dissipated. Once in college I became involved with playing amateur volleyball. After college and living in New York City I started kayaking on the Hudson River. Other than those brief moments of outdoor activity I sit at a desk most of the day. So when the time came to get a winter garden ready before Christmas I started the task off at my desk with my faithful companion, Google. I got loads of information, tips and techniques on how to go about setting up the garden. The first step to getting started was to buy the necessary set of tools. Although, I had gotten around using other tools in the past I found I couldn’t really complete this mission without a trowel.
The trowel or more commonly referred to as a masonry trowel is mostly used in brickwork or stonework for leveling, spreading and shaping mortar or concrete. Trowels used in construction are primarily classified into manual trowels and power trowels. The manual ones are usually preferred for smaller jobs because they can be controlled with ease and allow the person the necessary leverage to shape the wall or mold the plaster. Types of masonry trowels include the backpack and sponge trowel. The power trowel on the other hand can be powered by gas or electricity. They include the walk behind power trowels, which look more like the old push lawn mowers.
I however used the hand trowel to easily replace the summer vegetation. I simply cut around the vegetation by thrusting the trowel point down into the dirt and around the plant. This made it easier for me to lift the plant without damage. I could have used my trusty garden shovel but that could have done damage to the plant in the ground. Beside the garden shovel is really used for scooping or digging holes in large areas of land. This was a smaller job calling for a smaller tool. For those of you worried about me killing of the summer vegetation for the winter stock fear not. Once the summer plants were removed from the garden they were placed inside the home to rest out the winter.
One final thought, remember that the type of gardening trowel that you choose depends on the kind of soil that you will be working on. If the soil is hard to till, then look for a trowel with a strong blade and a comfortable handle. Steel blades are the most recommended ones.
Related Links:
Fiskars Transplanting Spade #9654
Radius Garden Natural Radius Grip Trowel #100
Radius Garden Natural Radius Grip PRO Spade #201
Radius Garden Natural Radius Grip PRO Transplanter #200
The Rumford Gardener Garden Pro Trowel #GPT1000
Fiskars Garden Spade #9667
Ames True Temper Classic Garden Spade with 30-Inch Steel / Wood D-Grip Handle #1551800
Ames True Temper DH Garden Spade with Ergo D-Grip Innovative Fiberglass Handle #1577700
Keep It Simple With Katie Brown Cast Aluminum Garden Trowel
