3 key pointers to get your garden going

However small your plot of land, when you set about turning it into a garden you'll find that some tools are basic necessities. These 3 pointers will help make sure both you and your soil are prepared for planting.

• It is important to have a sharp spade to open the soil, a garden fork to break it up, a shovel to dig holes in it, and a garden rake to level its surface
• Then you will need a trowel for small-scale digging, a garden hoe and a scuffle hoe to keep down weeds, and a long-handled and short-handled cultivator to keep the surface loose and friable
• You will also need a high-quality garden hose, equipped with an adjustable nozzle, and a garden line to ensure you have straight row
• If your garden space is larger than 50 square metres (160 square feet), a rotary tiller may be a worthwhile investment; it makes deep cultivation a quick and relatively effortless job.
• A wheelbarrow is in order, as well as a light roller
• Other tools that may come in handy include a crowbar for lifting large rocks, and a mattock or pick for breaking hardpacked surfaces

• When buying tools, look for the best — cheap tools are always more expensive in the long run
• Lift each one to be sure the handle fits your hands comfortably and the tool is well balanced
• Carefully examine the way the handle is joined to the working end; this is the weak point
• Round handles should be fitted into long metal shanks and riveted firmly in place
• Make sure all cutting edges are solid, sharp, and well aligned

• If you create a garden with permanent pathways and do not walk on the beds, you should have to dig the soil only once. In subsequent years, you can simply loosen the soil with a digging fork and work compost into the first few centimetres (half inch)
• Divide the plot down the middle, and mark the centre line
• Dig out a 25-centimetre-wide (10-inch-wide) trench to the depth of the spade blade, running from one side of the plot to the middle
• Put the soil in a pile just outside the plot near the centre line. It will be used later to fill the last trench
• If you are adding compost or other humus, spread it evenly over the ground. Hold some aside with the soil for the final trench
• Push the humus from the next strip of ground into the trench you have dug, spreading it evenly
• Now, dig the second strip across the half plot, turning each spadeful upside down into the first trench, so that what was on the surface is now about 25 centimetres (10 inches) deep
• Continue in this way, one strip of soil at a time, to the end of the plot; then work back along the other half
• Fill the final trench with the soil from the first one

Starting with proper, high-quality tools and a well-prepared plot of land will help get your garden off to a successful start.