- \n
- Scissors. A pair of inexpensive, sturdy scissors is incredibly handy in the garden. I probably use mine every single time I am out in the garden, not just for snipping string or twine, but also for cutting bouquets, deadheading, slicing open bags, cutting back perennials or cleaning up at the end of the season. When I started out gardening, I used to go into the house to get a pair of scissors when I needed them. It\u2019s much more convenient to have a dedicated pair for the garden.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Big basket. A five-gallon bucket is essential for liquids, but a large, broad basket is easier to load with leaves or garden trimmings, and it will hold more. Trug bins made of brightly-colored, flexible plastic are popular and come in a range of sizes. A large wicker basket also serves this purpose, and a good one will last for decades of heavy use or at least mine has. Both the trugs and the wicker baskets are a bit more expensive than other items on this list, but well worth it if you garden much at all. I use mine every time I work in my garden.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Watering can. This is helpful for those areas of your garden where the hose doesn\u2019t reach or applying liquid fertilizers or compost teas.\u00a0 A metal one that doesn\u2019t tip over or blow around like the plastic ones tend to, and one that has a fixed handle that you don\u2019t have to reach for every time you pick it up will save a lot of aggravation. Two gallons is a good size.\u00a0 Be sure it has a detachable \u201crose\u201d (the part at the end of the spout with the little holes where the water pours out), so you can remove it to prevent clogging or to clean it if it does get clogged. Shop around until you find one that is well designed and it will last for years. Mine is twenty-five years old and going strong.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"Tori](\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/HoriHori-396x503.jpeg\")
Hori Hori Knife<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n - \n
- Hori hori. This is a large, strong, Japanese garden knife. It is slightly curved and has a sharp serrated blade on one side and a straight knife blade on the other. That makes it perfect for pulling out weeds with tap roots, like dandelions, or sawing apart the root balls of perennials and many other heavy-duty cutting tasks. Once you get one, you\u2019ll wonder how you managed without it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"three](\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/extension\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2026\/05\/PlantUmbrellas-396x282.jpeg\")
Plant Umbrellas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n - \n
- Plant umbrellas. These are new favorites of mine. They are miniature umbrellas that you can stick in the soil to protect seedlings and transplants from the strong Yakima sunshine. I got a colorful pack of them last year from an online retailer and they seemed to really help plants that otherwise would have struggled. Plus they look adorable dotted throughout my garden.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Gloves. Dirt is dirty! Beyond the cuts, scrapes, and splinters to which your bare hands are exposed, garden soil is known to carry the bacteria E. coli<\/em>, which can cause serious illness and is potentially fatal. Additionally, the soil in our area may be contaminated with arsenic and other heavy metals. I know many gardeners like to feel the soil with their bare hands, but it isn\u2019t wise. Gloves can help keep you safe from these hazards.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
While it isn\u2019t necessary to acquire a huge collection of specialized tools, smart choices like these can make your gardening efforts easier and more pleasant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Happy June! Happy Gardening!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Caroline Crowley, Master Gardener No matter what you might hear from influencers and bloggers, gardeners generally don\u2019t need a shed full of tools and expensive gizmos. The basics of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":210,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_wsuwp_accessibility_report":null,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":0,"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_external_link":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[65],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26794"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/210"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26794"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26798,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26794\/revisions\/26798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Gloves. Dirt is dirty! Beyond the cuts, scrapes, and splinters to which your bare hands are exposed, garden soil is known to carry the bacteria E. coli<\/em>, which can cause serious illness and is potentially fatal. Additionally, the soil in our area may be contaminated with arsenic and other heavy metals. I know many gardeners like to feel the soil with their bare hands, but it isn\u2019t wise. Gloves can help keep you safe from these hazards.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Plant umbrellas. These are new favorites of mine. They are miniature umbrellas that you can stick in the soil to protect seedlings and transplants from the strong Yakima sunshine. I got a colorful pack of them last year from an online retailer and they seemed to really help plants that otherwise would have struggled. Plus they look adorable dotted throughout my garden.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Hori hori. This is a large, strong, Japanese garden knife. It is slightly curved and has a sharp serrated blade on one side and a straight knife blade on the other. That makes it perfect for pulling out weeds with tap roots, like dandelions, or sawing apart the root balls of perennials and many other heavy-duty cutting tasks. Once you get one, you\u2019ll wonder how you managed without it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
- Watering can. This is helpful for those areas of your garden where the hose doesn\u2019t reach or applying liquid fertilizers or compost teas.\u00a0 A metal one that doesn\u2019t tip over or blow around like the plastic ones tend to, and one that has a fixed handle that you don\u2019t have to reach for every time you pick it up will save a lot of aggravation. Two gallons is a good size.\u00a0 Be sure it has a detachable \u201crose\u201d (the part at the end of the spout with the little holes where the water pours out), so you can remove it to prevent clogging or to clean it if it does get clogged. Shop around until you find one that is well designed and it will last for years. Mine is twenty-five years old and going strong.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
- Big basket. A five-gallon bucket is essential for liquids, but a large, broad basket is easier to load with leaves or garden trimmings, and it will hold more. Trug bins made of brightly-colored, flexible plastic are popular and come in a range of sizes. A large wicker basket also serves this purpose, and a good one will last for decades of heavy use or at least mine has. Both the trugs and the wicker baskets are a bit more expensive than other items on this list, but well worth it if you garden much at all. I use mine every time I work in my garden.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n