I've got an arsenal of garden tools, 18 years in garden center and landscape has left me with every type of shovel, hand tools, and rake you could imagine.  And many of them get a good workout.  But if I was forced to scale down my tool collection, here are the 5 tools I would be sure to keep.

#1-Sharpshooter: A sharpshooters is a shovel with a small head, specially designed for digging in tight spaces.   Kept sharp, it can cut through roots and work around rocks and other obstacles.  It can be a little tedious when it comes to removing large quantities of soil, but it is great for working in our sometimes trying Austin soil profiles.  While some have wooden handles, the Fiskars brand features solid steel construction and a lifetime guarantee.

#2-Felco Bypass Pruners: Felco wrote the book on pruners.  They have  variety of styles, depending on your hand size and what you might be pruning.  While they are limited to usually ¾"-1" diameter braches (I find that hand strength is the biggest limit), they are also good for delicate pruning such as deadheading perennials or cutting back smaller plants.  Every part of a Felco that you might possibly break or wear out is replaceable, so these guys will last, literally, forever.  I still have the pair I was given 18 years ago.  I have replaced the blades and springs once and they continue to work exceptionally well.

#3-Radius Ergonomic Weeder:  When Oprah endorses a book, it goes straight to the top of the best seller's list.  Same is true for a garden tool.  The Radius brand is a line of tools designed to be easy on the hands, even if arthritis is an issue.  Their weeder is a small hand tool that is great for getting those deep tap-rooted weeds such as dandelions out of the garden.  It is also good for planting small (4"-6") plants or bulbs.  Mine stays on my side whenever I'm in the garden working.

#4-Power Flow Water Nozzle:  Every Austin gardener is familiar with watering;  a necessary eveil in our climate.  The power flow nozzle is a great tools for watering potted plants and beds.  It is also good for blasting crud off the driveway, washing the car, or just good 'ol hosing off after a long hot day.  I put my first on my hose five years ago, and it has never come off.  It is too hard for watering seedlings of very delicate plants, but I use my watering can for that.

#5- Garden Guide for Austin and Vicinity:   Your best tool is the 'ol brain, and you need to keep that tool especially sharp.  This small, inexpensive book was put together by Travis County Mater Gardeners and has a ton of great info for Austin (and vicinity) gardeners.   It is always good to be sure your garden books are suited for your climate, and this is the most targeted book for our area.

Getting my tools selection down to 5 would be a difficult task for me.  But if I had to, these are the ones that would make the cut (or the dig, or the shower).  They all have their limits, but they would cover a solid 85%-90% of the needs of most gardeners.  Good luck and good gardening!!

Merrideth Jiles