These are the 7 garden tools I can’t go without when I’m cut flower gardening. You’ll find a simple, beginner-friendly list of tools that truly make gardening easier. This post is the first in my Garden Tools Series.
Starting a cut flower garden is exciting and fun, but choosing the right gardening tools can feel really overwhelming when you’re just getting started.
Don’t just grab a random pack of cheap gardening tools from the store.
Invest in a curated collection of garden tools that you’ll turn to time and time again for cut flower gardening.
I’m sharing my favorite tools that I reach for every single season, and I think you’ll find them just as helpful.
RELATED POST: How to Start the Cut Flower Garden of Your Dreams
Do You Really Need Special Tools for Cut Flowers?
Not really! You don’t need to have a huge collection of fancy tools to grow flowers successfully. I firmly believe that the fewer tools you have, the simpler it is to keep up with a cut flower garden.
Not too long ago, I was starting to grow flowers for the first time and over the years, I’ve whittled my collection down to the essential garden tools that I can’t garden without.
Although, full disclosure, the only reason I’ve gotten rid of a number of gardening tools was because they kept breaking!
I’ve replaced my favorites with stronger, higher-quality tools, and that’s what I’m sharing with you in this post.
My creme-de-la-creme!
My 7 Must-Have Garden Tools for Cut Flower Gardening
Whether you’re just getting started or you’re just curious about the tools other gardeners love to use, this list is for you. Here are my favorite beginner gardening tools.
1. Snips or Floral Shears
This tool is something I use daily.
Floral snips are lightweight, razor-sharp, and designed for precise cuts with their long, thin blades.
I use mine for
- cutting soft flower and foliage stems,
- deadheading spent flowers
- trimming herbs,
- removing extra foliage from stems before arranging.
I bought this pair a couple years ago, and it’s served me well so far.
It’s gentle on the hands and perfect for long harvest sessions.
If you’re building your gardener’s toolkit from scratch, a good pair of floral snips should be at the top of your list.
2. Hand Pruners
Every now and then, you’ll need to clip tougher stems like roses, hydrangeas, or flowering branches.
In this case, a sharp, durable pair of hand pruners like my Felco 2’s are a must-have to make clean cuts through thick, woody stems and small branches.
Look for a pair that spring open and that feel good in your hands.
I use mine most often for:
- cutting back woody branches,
- pruning hydrangeas in the spring (read more in my Hydrangea Pruning Guide),
- cutting rose stems,
- harvesting flowering branches,
- or doing light trimming on shrubs and trees.
My husband bought me this pair of hand pruners for my birthday 5 years ago and I love them. I’m happy we went with these particular pruners because they cut through woody stems like butter and are easy to use and grip in my hands.
To maintain them, I clean them each winter, sharpen them as needed, and keep them in their holster when not in use.
3. Garden Gloves
Protecting your hands might not sound glamorous, but a good pair of gloves is essential. A pair of garden gloves like these ones from Atlas will protect your hands from thorns and thistles, and make it easier to strip foliage.
I have several pairs of garden gloves stashed in the garage, on the patio, and in my gardening tool belt so that I’m never without them.
Get a color to match every outfit.
Just kidding. Unless you really want to!
4. Garden Hose
It doesn’t matter what kind of climate you’re in, sooner or later, you will need to water your plants.
A great garden hose helps you do that.
You can get whatever kind of garden hose you like, but I very much recommend getting a retractable hose.
Have you ever tried to put away your garden hose when you’re done watering and it gets kinky and heavy in all the worst ways?
I personally love my Hoselink retractable hose because it doesn’t tangle or drain my last reserves of energy getting it out and putting it away. It’s one of those tools you don’t realize how much you appreciate until you have one.
When you use a retractable hose like Hoselink, these problems are a thing of the past.
This hose is a must-have for me. I’ve endured far too many summer droughts to live without one now.
5. Hori-Hori Knife
This is hands-down the most versatile garden tool I own.
A hori-hori knife (Japanese for “dig-dig”) is part trowel, part saw, and part weeding tool.
I most often carry mine in the spring for:
- dividing perennials,
- transplanting seedlings,
- digging up thistles and dandelions,
- cutting open plastic bags,
- or hacking down comfrey.
A regular hand trowel would work fine for planting, but won’t be able to saw or divide plants like a hori-hori knife.
Plus, let’s be honest. It’s just not as cool as a hori-hori.
6. Garden Spade
When you need to plant, move soil, or dig a hole, a spade is an essential garden tool to have.
I prefer a shorter-handled spade with a D-handle (I’m 5 feet tall), but my husband (who’s 6 feet tall) prefers a long-handled spade.
The right handle length depends on your height and what feels comfortable and natural for you to use.
I recommend this durable spade from Bully Tools which comes either with a long handle or a D-grip and is strong enough to last for years of heavy garden work.
7. Stakes and Twine
I know, I know. Stakes and twine are not the most glamorous of garden tools (Does it even count as a “tool” strictly speaking? Let me know what you think!), but it’s certainly essential in flower gardening.
Cut flowers like dahlias and snapdragons need support to grow tall and straight. Stakes and twine together help prevent stems from flopping over and ensure pristine blooms and long, straight stems.
It doesn’t take long to place a stake next to a plant and tie it up loosely with twine, but the payoff is a healthier plant and more flowers.
I use:
- heavy metal stakes for corralling a large group of plants,
- lightweight bamboo or cedar stakes for creating teepees or staking single plants
- twine for tying.
This year, I’m actually trying paracord as my “twine”.
If it doesn’t work in the garden, I’ll at least be able to use it when jumping off a plane.
Honorable Mention: Harvest Bucket
I love the romance of wandering around the garden, picking a handful of flowers, but you can only hold so many flowers in one hand!
That’s where a harvest bucket comes into play.
Filled with fresh water, you can harvest a greater number of flowers and foliage stems and keep them well-hydrated in your bucket.
Putting floral stems in water right after harvest will also help them last longer in the vase.
Any sturdy 2 or 3 gallon bucket will do. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy.
As a flower gardener, you’ll also be able to use your bucket for other tasks like diluting liquid fertilizer to feed your plants, or carrying garden clippings to the compost bin for disposal.
Related Post: 8 Simple Tips to Make Cut Flowers Last Longer
Nice To Have Tools
As you expand your garden, you’ll need additional tools to help difficult or repetitve tasks go much easier.
- A bow rake helps you spread mulch and level off soil.
- A Gorilla Cart makes moving bags of soil, mulch, compost, and buckets of flowers so much easier.
- A small garden rake will help you easily clean up debris from underneath plants and shrubs.
- Seed starting supplies like the ones in my seed starting supplies list
Tips to Choose Quality Tools
- Try tools out in-store if you can. Make sure they feel comfortable in your hands.
- Buy once, and buy well. It’s better to buy one good tool instead of three cheap ones.
- Invest slowly. Start your your true essentials and then add more as you need them.
- Pick the right size. Smaller hands will be more comfortable holding small tools and vice versa.
- Check the materials. Stainless steel and carbon steel are durable and resist rusting. Wood or fiberglass handles can last longer than plastic.
- Don’t forget maintenance. Quality tools that can be sharpened, oiled, or easily cleaned will last longer.
Snip Your Way to Flower Garden Happiness
You don’t need a big budget or shed full of tools to have a happy flower-gardening life.
A handful of well-chosen essentials makes flower gardening so much easier and more enjoyable.
Pick a couple tools from the list that will round out your current collection. You’ll see the difference right away!
If you’re starting from scratch, I recommend getting:
- a pair of snips,
- a hori-hori knife,
- and a hose.
These three things are great for beginners. And if your new garden is pretty large, I’d also grab a garden spade.
Add more tools as your budget allows.
As always, grow what you love and love what you grow.
Here are other cut flower gardening posts I think you’ll like: