The tool used in landscaping more than any other is the shovel. It shows up at every phase of every project from planting trees to spreading mulch. Most pros carry at least two shovels on their truck at all times because no other tool covers as many tasks.
I helped a friend build a backyard patio and garden bed last summer. The shovel never left my hands for more than ten minutes at a time. We broke ground with it, moved four cubic yards of soil, dug holes for six shrubs, and shaped mulch around every plant. Other landscaping tools came and went during the job. The rake worked for an hour and the edger shaped one border. But the shovel touched every single task from start to finish.
You reach for a shovel so often because it does more jobs than any other tool. It digs planting holes for shrubs and trees. It scoops and moves soil, mulch, sand, and gravel. It edges beds by cutting clean lines along turf. It mixes soil amendments right in the wheelbarrow. It even pries out rocks and old root balls. One tool handles six tasks on a normal work day.
Data tracking over 60 landscaping tools across 7 groups backs this up. Shovels and spades show up in more job write-ups than any other tool type. Rakes rank second, pruners third, and carts fourth. The shovel leads because most projects involve moving dirt in some form. Nothing moves dirt by hand faster than a good shovel blade.
Two shovel styles cover almost all your digging needs. A round-point shovel has a curved blade that cuts into soil and scoops loose stuff with ease. Use it for planting holes, moving mulch, and mixing in compost. A flat-head spade has a straight edge that slices clean bed borders, cuts through sod, and splits root clumps. Most pros own both because each shape fills a gap the other can't.
I tested both styles on a new flower bed project last fall. The round-point dug every hole in half the time my old flat spade needed. But the flat spade cut a border line so clean it looked like a pro did it. Owning both cost me under $60 total and gave me the best of each world.
If you can buy just one tool for your next project, make it a round-point shovel with a fiberglass handle. The most common landscaping tool earns that title through pure work output. Fiberglass soaks up shock and lasts longer than wood under heavy use. Add a flat spade when you can, and you own the two tools that every crew considers a must on every job site.
Read the full article: 10 Best Garden Tools for Every Gardener
