• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • The Gardenangelists Podcast
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

Gardening Tool Week: Evolution of the Trowel

July 31, 2006 By Carol Michel 4 Comments

Because it is so hot this week, practically everywhere, I’ve declared it to be Gardening Tool Week. It’s just too hot to take pictures of plants, they just wouldn’t be at their best. But tools, they look good in any weather.

So let Gardening Tool Week begin with this post about the Evolution of the Trowel, at least in my gardening life.


When I was little and wanted to do some digging in the garden, I would ask my mom for a spoon, and she would provide one for me. I don’t think we ate with these later as I doubt the spoon ever made it back into the house. For my little hands, it was the perfect tool. (Kids, this was before the day when they made those cute little gardening tools for the little ones.)


Then when I started to actually garden and start really planting things, I used a trowel like this one. It’s mass produced and cheap, and the problem is that it bends rather easily, especially in hard, clay soil. I would guess this cost me about 99 cents. I have not used this trowel for many years, but I keep it hanging in the garage, because it is hard for me to part with any gardening tools.


Later, I got a trowel like this one which is a little heavier, so it doesn’t bend, but it was really just a bit too narrow for most planting jobs.


Fast forward quite a few years when I was “discovered” by the gardening industry as someone who would buy a tool or two through the mail and thus received tons of catalogs each year. I found this little beauty from Lee Valley Tool Supply. It’s beautiful, isn’t it, with it’s stainless steel blade? And it never bends. I love this trowel, and for several years, I thought no trowel could replace it. If I laid it down somewhere in the garage and couldn’t find it, I would almost panic looking for it, as there is no way I could garden without it!

But there is one more trowel I must tell you about…


Last fall, I bought this new trowel as a treat for myself. I could not resist it. It’s hand-forged stainless steel, also from Lee Valley, and manufactured by a family business in the Netherlands. When I first got this trowel, I wasn’t quite sure about it. The blade seemed a bit small, without much curve to it, and the handle was unfinished wood. But then I started to use it. I was won over. It is the perfect size for me. I love how the handle is aging, how it feels in my hand. The blade is just the right size for most jobs. This is the trowel for me. I still love my other stainless steel trowel, and there are some jobs I still need it for, but for most of my hand planting, I now use just this trowel. I would be lost and gardening would not be the same without it.

I always say, if you have a hobby that involves using tools, buy good tools to get the most enjoyment out of using them, and keep looking until you find your dream tool. It’s out there, waiting for you. I’ve found my dream trowel, and so can you.

Check back soon for my next post: Specialty Trowels.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: tools

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    August 1, 2006 at 1:38 am

    Carol,
    I think I am stuck at the $2.99 trowel. But should one ever need a gift for someone, that would be a consideration. (I forgot the plant Sunday.)
    Kathy

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    August 1, 2006 at 1:34 pm

    Carol,
    Spoons in our household have been known to do a double shift in the garden and the table!

    You can’t beat the quality ingredients – wood and stainless steel. Worth the money.

    Reply
  3. OldRoses says

    August 1, 2006 at 3:05 pm

    If you ever develop arthritis in your hands (as I have), I highly recommend trowels with padded handles. I couldn’t garden without mine!

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    August 1, 2006 at 10:45 pm

    I want to know about that fantastic tool you used on Saturday to help me do some trimming!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,053)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT