Garden tools in review

Our garden is in full swing...and so are the weeds.  Somedays I feel like I garden more weeds than flowers and vegetables.  I guess that harks back to perspective on what actually is a weed.   By definition, a weed is any unwanted plant.  I know this, in part, because I took a complete course in Weed Science at the University of Florida in my third year there.  Yep, Weed Science is indeed "a thing".  

Anyways, I digress...

In combatting these thorny, creeping, aggravating interlopers of the garden, I have a few favorite tools to help keep them at bay.  

Item 1.  The Ames Action Hoe - This is another gem I learned about while at university thanks to Dr. Buhr.  Unlike a conventional hoe that is basically a shaped, non moving piece of metal at the end of a long handle, the action hoe has a hinged double edged blade like the shape a stirrup that the user can shuffle just under the soil surface to remove small weed seedlings of the roots.  By lopping off the leaves from the roots you are eliminating said weeds' ability to grow in most cases.  This tool works best for removing weed seedlings rather than mature plants.  It also provides minimal disruption to the soil as compared to a conventional hoe.  

Item 2.  Mud Gloves - I first discovered these at one of my favorite local seed shops.  Sadly, the owners retired and closed just this past year.  Thankfully, these gloves have withstood all my abuse and have not needed a replacement.  They are cool, keep most of the dirt out and the loud colors are hard to miss when I set them down, then forget where I left them.  They are fairly thick, nice for when I accidently disrupt the fire ants, but stay cool.  The synthetic leather palm safeguards against the extra thorny weeds.  I have also tried their cotton/latex gloves and the Gauntlet Gloves, used for rose trimming, both of which have held up well and fit great!  Hands down, Mud Gloves for the win.  

Item 3.  We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and Kids.  This sweet narrative from Jo herself is a wonderful reminder that as gardeners, though we may be alone in our gardens, are not alone in our challenges as gardeners. EVERY garden has weeds.  But, just as we all have challenges, we also have the triumphs too every time we get to harvest the fruits of our labor.  We Are the Gardeners  is a delightful read for young and old whether you have a few patio pots or many acres.  

Of course in the long game, it will be great to find the same "balance" in our part of the ecosystem as those in the new Hulu documentary The Biggest Little Farm, but, until then, I'll keep ripping my weeds one at a time.  

Happy digging!  
~Katie