Summer is here, bringing with it fresh, vibrant foliage. To keep your home garden in check or tend to your plantings, here are a few essential gardening tools that every homeowner should have on hand:

Sturdy gloves
Even some innocuous-looking plants can have nasty thorns or splinters. A good pair of durable, but not too bulky, gloves will protect your hands from scrapes and scratches. Latex-coated gloves can also offer protection from moisture. 

Hand trowels
Trowels are one of the most commonly used, versatile tools available. Whether weeding, digging small holds, or simply stirring up soil, a trowel is the perfect size and shape for many gardening tasks. Consider buying a serrated trowel for a little extra versatility. 

Rakes
Rakes aren't just useful in the summertime for dethatching dry, dead grass – they are invaluable come fall when leaves and debris litter the ground.

Long hose with adjustable nozzle
Hot summer months can mean weeks without rain. To bolster plant growth, a hose can help you set up sprinklers or water on demand.

Scissors and shears
For trimming plant life, household scissors simply wont do. A pair or heavy duty shears can help you cut away aggressive climbing vines, while smaller gardening or pruning scissors allow you to perform more detailed cuts and shape the growth of some plants.

Round headed shovel
If you need to dig a larger hole to plant a tree or bush, a shovel is much preferred over a hand trowel. Shovels are also ideal for moving soil or fertilizer. 

A wheelbarrow
For bigger, more intensive jobs like transporting large amounts of soil, a wheelbarrow will save you from sore muscles or straining your back. 

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