In a lot of undertakings, an individual will choose the easiest, most comfortable way by which to achieve his selected task. An artist painting a magnificent sundown, shimmering delicately over a lake, will utilize the best quality artist's brush made of camel hair, not a home painter's 3" large, synthetically bristled brush. In the kitchen area, why chop veggies up until your hands remain in significant discomfort when there is a food mill waiting to do the job, freeing you from the tedium, and the extra back pain that originates from standing interminably at the cooking area counter, questioning to yourself if your recipe actually needs a complete cup of finely diced celery?
And why would anyone use a manual typewriter that has absolutely no functions to boast about, besides causing carpal tunnel syndrome or muscle spasms, that originated from the recurring motion of striking the keys with force when, in the other room, sits a state-of-the-art computer system with all the bells and whistles, capable of doing almost everything for you however actually compose the text that you desire? I do not believe I could begin to be sufficiently skilled (more like bumbling) if I had to worry about setting margins and spacing, and trying to find out where to put that *% @ # "e" inadvertently missing out on in cheese [sic] without destroying any semblance to proper area positioning.
The very same thing is true with gardening. You do not use a shovel when a much lighter weight spade will do. And you do not invest an hour, bent over a flower bed, without triggering grievous pain to your back and shoulders, when you might be utilizing an ergonomically created kneeler pad particularly crafted to keep your knees on speaking terms with the rest of your body.
Any garden enthusiast, newbie or professional, requires a basic set of tools. As holds true with any task or activity needing specialized tools or stuff, to garden you should generate for yourself a set of excellent quality tools which will not break down with the slightest justification. Plus, you owe it to yourself to get the most comfy tools within your budget. It is much better to purchase simply a few of the basics prior to you begin salivating at the sight of "designer" garden tools. At this point, more is not necessarily better. Choose sensibly.
The first category of ergonomically developed garden tools includes SPADES, TROWELS, CULTIVATORS, and SHOVELS. A SPADE is utilized for digging or cutting the ground. It has a sharp-edged metal blade and a long deal with. A TROWEL is essentially a little spade, utilized for lifting plants or soil. A FARMER is used to prepare the soil for a garden.
A STANDARD or GARDEN TROWEL, an extremely versatile hand tool, can do many tasks such as digging and shaping holes, hollowing or leveling out soil, and close-up weeding. A TRANSPLANTING TROWEL, with its narrow style, is the ideal tool for digging deep and/or narrow holes for planting seedlings. It is likewise exceptional for removing root balls quickly, with no damage to the plant or surrounding areas. Some transplanting trowels have measurements marked on the trowel so the gardener can dig to the appropriate depth for planting seeds. An incredibly flexible tool, the CULTIVATOR, with its 3 lengthened prongs, is ideal for many jobs. It can be used to loosen and prepare soil, extract immature weeds, amend the soil with compost or fertilizer, and to aerate the soil to make watering more effective. A long-handled ROUND POINT SHOVEL can make or break your garden. You can accomplish anything and whatever with this sort of shovel. It is ideal for turning ground or scooping soil, as well as for developing planting holes, filling in holes, and for carting away dirt loosened by another tool.
The next group of gardening tools consists of PRUNERS, SHEARS, and LOPPERS. HAND PRUNERS are quite beneficial. They are perfectly fit for eliminating dead or broken branches from increased bushes and shrubs, and they can cut through thin branches. Other uses can include cutting back perennials, and collecting herbs and flowers. I have actually discovered, from individual experience, to keep the blades tidy and honed, or else you will discover yourself with an armful of mangled increased stems, hanging half on and half off the bush. Not a pretty sight. I'm very territorial about my rose pruners and actually do not like sharing them with others. If the pruner fits ...
There are various designs of SHEARS available. Typically speaking, shears are big clipping or cutting instruments formed like scissors. GRASS SHEARS are designed to get into areas challenging to be trimmed by the mower, such as around tree trunks and flower beds, and to trim the lawn's edges. HEDGE SHEARS and lawn shears are alike, however the hedge shears have longer blades. This tool is good when trimming hedges and shrubs. In the Fall, it can be found in rather useful when cutting down perennials and likewise when clipping off dead flower heads.
LOPPERS have long manages in order to prune back or cut off branches from a tree or other such woody plants. They are able to cut through branches up to 2 inched in size.
Another essential grouping of garden tools is made up of WEEDERS and LAWN EDGERS. WEEDERS do just that; they dig up weeds. A weeder consists of a long metal handle ending in finger like forecasts or scrapers that have been honed to facilitate piercing the earth and pulling up long, straggling weeds up and away by cutting them off below the surface. It rather looks like a BBQ fork. LAWN EDGERS are utilized to keep flower beds and bushes maintained in their correct contours. Basically, an edger will assist delineate the garden borders by loosening up grass impinging onto pathways, stepping stones, flower beds, and around the circular area surrounding the diameter of a tree.
There are two fundamental types of RAKES: the BOW RAKE and the LEAF RAKE. The BOW RAKE is a fundamental in any garden. Sturdily developed with strong steel branches, it is utilized to move and smooth soil. It is also useful for drawing up raised flower or vegetable beds or mounding soil around plants. It is indispensable to "capture and toss" garden particles. LEAF RAKES have flexible plastic or aluminum tines. It is not as heavy as the bow rake but is perfect for gathering scattered leafs, turf clippings, etc. Both rakes have long handles so no bending is involved.
Do not forget to select a WATERING CAN, a HOSE with a TUBE REEL and NOZZLE, a ROLLING GARDEN CART/SEAT and a KNEELER. A WATERING CAN has a long spout, enabling you to water your flowers and shrubs from a short range away while still standing. They do tend to feel quite heavy - water weighs 8-1/3 lbs. per gallon - so search for a watering can that is made from lighter weight products, such as aluminum or a strong plastic, that is well constructed. An excellent quality PIPE is necessary for your garden and your peace of mind, unless you are especially fond of lugging that heavy watering can around to water your yard. Do not pinch cents on a pipe; purchase the very best quality hose pipe you can discover so you will not be spending your weekends giving first help to all those holes and leaks that appear to announce themselves the minute you look away. A tube made from rubber should be your best option. Some are even reinforced from the inside with a material meant to bend with the tube. You will require a NOZZLE of plastic or metal; metal will absolutely last longer and frustrate you less. A PIPE REEL will make your life so much easier. The number of times have you tripped over a hose that has been carelessly dropped in serpentine tangles all over the driveway? Try to buy a hose that is of adequate length to reach from the spigot to the point furthest away on your residential or commercial property where you may need water.
Last, however definitely not least, are the GARDENING STOOL and the KNEELER. These 2 accessories are designed for those of us who are not quite as mobile as we when were. The GARDENING STOOL assists eliminate back and knee pain by providing a surface area upon which to sit while doing gardening chores that usually need standing in one place and/or flexing. The stool generally is geared up with wheels and a storage space for your tools, and even has a holder for your water bottle. There is another kind of gardening stool resembling a round hassock but it is installed on a spring mechanism that enables the gardener to sit and reach in all directions without having to get up to rearrange the stool. Regrettably, this 2nd type of stool tends to be very expensive.
The KNEELER, a padded surface area in the shape of a stiff swing seat, is created to take the ground's solidity far from your bad aching knees. A variation of the kneeler is as described above however with grab bars on either side of the cushion to help with standing up when you have actually completed operating in that part of your garden. Both models alleviate pressure on the knees, particularly practical for arthritics.
Probably among the most efficient items, ergonomically speaking, is the ADD-ON HANDLE. It structurally modifies traditionally designed garden tools in a manner that provides the tool an ergonomic grip. It can be used with hand tools such as trowels and spades, rakes, hoes, and brooms. An arm assistance cuff for increased control and take advantage of is likewise readily available. Both the deal with and the cuff are detachable and can be used on the tools discussed above. There are also long reach farmers for those who should work from a seated position, especially wheelchair users.
A couple of final thoughts:
You need to treat your body as a shrine. Bending incorrectly is the very same as taking a sledge hammer to your shrine. Both are harmful.
It is easy to make a quick move without thinking. I can not count the variety of times my physician has actually fussed at me for just that factor.
When RAKING or HOEING, try to keep the tools near your body. Keep your back directly. Use your arms and NEVER twist your trunk (my medical professional's really bone of contention - I still feel guilty when he catches me). If you are brief, use long-handled tools in scale with your height. The same holds true for tall individuals.
Do rule out flexing from the waist. This is where the KNEELER or the KNEELER WITH GRAB BARS come in magnificent handy. When WEEDING, use long-handled tools to ease the strain on your back, legs, and knees. Ignore flexing over to TROWEL; consider crouching or sitting on the ground.
When SHOVELING or DIGGING, step on the top of the blade as you vertically insert the head of the shovel in the ground. Lift only little loads, flexing at the knees. Never include your back when lifting. Once again, prevent twisting your trunk. This will become your mantra. Use as small of a shovel as possible to effectively complete your job. Again, match your shovel to your body size.
Do not push your physical limits when raising or bring. Bend from the knees, but not your back and keep the load near to your body. Prevent twisting or reaching. Sound familiar?
Get as close as possible to your work. Do not require your reach beyond your comfort zone. More significantly, kitchen cleaning tools and equipment do not stretch beyond your stable footing! On an individual note, stretching can be deleterious to your health if you have not organized your footing to your best advantage. To preface this cautionary tale, due to having Degenerative Disc Disease for many years, my chief mode of transportation is my dependable wheelchair. I also use bilateral leg braces which offer me some support when standing. A few summers earlier, I thought it would be nice to raid my rose garden to dress up the dining-room table as we were expecting supper visitors that night. Nobody else was at home. Like a fool, I headed out to my rose garden, equipped with my favorite pruning shears, thinking I want to cut at least a dozen gorgeous roses (we have over 50 bushes). I was wearing rather saggy shorts that rippled in the breeze. Both my legs were ensconced in their braces. Espying an especially wonderful increased, I reached forward toward the bush. I believed my feet were firmly planted atop the redwood chips surrounding the bushes. Kid, was I wrong! As I reached for the stem to be clipped, each foot entered an opposite direction, propelling me toward all those thousands of deadly thorns. With severe accuracy, I was thrust straight onto the bush. Correction. I was impaled upon the rose bush, imprisoned by those enormous thorns in a bent-over, face-in-the-bush position. Doomed by my thorn-snagged shorts, I was actually paralyzed. My neighbor and his bro came trotting throughout the street to untangle me. Talk about humiliation, not to mention the blood exuding out from the zillion thorn holes on my body. I was the image of sophistication, not. I thanked them for their help and red-facedly slunk back into your home. I can honestly state that from that point on, I think all alternatives prior to even approaching anything in my garden. I had actually definitely learned my lesson and hope this tale will remind you to plan ahead whenever your body mechanics are included.