Tools and Equipment for May

Always remember to take proper precautions to ensure physical safety while gardening, regardless of equipment choice. This includes the use of eye wear to protect from liquid splash and dust particles when mixing chemicals or to protect from rocks, twigs, or other loose objects when using power equipment; helmets made of high-impact plastics for head protection during tree and shrub pruning and other overhead tasks; gloves to protect hands and wrists from abrasion, blistering, burns, and dirt; and, most importantly, if you must use power tools while gardening, wear ear muffs or ear plugs to protect your hearing.
Make a support rod for your hanging baskets using an old mop or broom handle. Place two sturdy hooks into your porch or patio roof about as far apart as the handle is long. Suspend the rod with two equal lengths of chain. The rod can hold several hanging baskets, depending on size.
Mark the handle of your spade or hoe in inches for a handy measuring device for row width and planting distances. Paint or tape the measurements on the handle. A coat of varnish can make the marks last longer.
Make cleaning and oiling garden tools quick and easy by keeping a 5-gallon pail of coarse sand near your tool storage area. Moisten the sand with used motor oil. Whenever you return tools to storage, all you have to do to keep them clean and rust free is plunge them a few times into the sand.
Put your tools away at the end of the day; clean them and hang them up, if possible. Keep the cutting edge sharp for easier use.
When you remodel the kitchen, save a section of the old cabinets and use it for a potting bench. It provides a comfortable working height and storage below for pots, media, tools, etc.

"So many seeds -- so little time."
--Author unknown

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