A gardener needs a trusty collection of tools and equipment to make the process of vegetable gardening as uncomplicated and fun as possible. Here in the market garden, there are five pieces that are always by our side, whether we are preparing the ground, planting, maintaining or harvesting. The list below is not affiliated with any companies, we just genuinely love to use them!

Hori hori knife

Translated as ‘dig dig’, a hori-hori knife is a Japanese multifunctional tool which looks rather like a mini sword! With a usual blade length of 7 inches, they are available with one serrated and one smooth edge, a pointed end and sometimes a measure rule embossed down the middle (very handy when planting little veg seedlings equal distances apart). Much stronger than a garden trowel, this little knife can be used to plant, weed, hoe, cut garden twine, saw through woody stems and roots, and more. A leather sheath attachable to your belt will ensure that your new best friend is always safely tucked away when with you.

Oscillating hoe

An oscillating hoe has a long handle and a razor-sharp double-edged blade in a stirrup shape, which effortlessly cuts below the surface of the soil, slicing through and pulling up roots with ease. It oscillates back and forth on a hinge so that gardeners can both push and pull the hoe in a rhythm, making weeding between rows of veg incredibly easy. It is a go-to for us when we have left the wedding jobs a bit too long (oops) and have to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.    

Japanese secateurs

An absolute essential for any gardener is a good pair of secateurs that will stand the test of time. Whether pruning our fruit trees, clipping out the tops of our basil to encourage shooting, or snipping pumpkins from the vine, our Japanese secateurs are always on our tool-belt.  A pair with carbon steel blades are incredibly durable and with regular care and attention, will last a lifetime.

Landscape rake

A long-handled, wide landscape rake with lightweight aluminium tines is the perfect tool for levelling out freshly weeded beds in preparation for planting, as well as for raking woodchip or gravel paths around the vegetable garden. The wider the better, if you have a lot of ground to cover!

Garden cart

We inherited our garden cart from a friend who previously used it to haul their rucksacks and supplies across the fields at music festivals! With four durable tyre wheels, a T-shaped pulling bar and a lightweight mesh flatbed body, our cart has collapsible sides and is ideal for transporting seed trays to the field, pulling the pumpkins back to the barns for storage, or even taking a little ones for a hayride!