To get the best out of your garden in 2008 I will be publishing my best tips and ideas to save you time and money. I have spent a large part of the last 10 years researching garden tools and techniques to make gardening easier and more fun.

I can help you find rare and specialist equipment - and you can help me and my readers by providing feedback on the products you use. (This site had over 70,000 visitors in the last 12 months including representatives of manufacturers and retailers). I won't sell you rubbish tools to make money- I wouldn't be happy and you wouldn't come back.

I hope you enjoy rummaging in my shed, if you cant find what you are looking for or want to make a comment I would love to hear from you.

e-mail fred@fredshed.com

A new model rainwater diverter with easy to remove and clean crud basket. (see my watering page)

Top Tips This Month

Attack slugs and snails at night and after rainy weather

If you can hit the slug population and interrupt their breeding at the start of the season you can significantly reduce the amount of damage they will cause. I am experimenting with copper barriers as snail deterrents and have also used the biological method of introducing nematodes into the soil to kill the slugs.

buy  organic slug control system

see a wide range of slug and snail control products

Make the most of the Rain

fit a rainwater diverter

Grabbing Rake Speeds Clear up time

The grabber rake has been around in various forms for many years and is an excellent time and back saving tool.

The one shown above is red but if you would like a green one known as the Rake and Scoop please use the link below to purchase for around £20 from one of my recommended suppliers.

click to purchase a green plastic grabber rake

(A wider version is also available)

Fantastic Lightweight Border Rake

I have tried dozens of rakes over the last 15 years that I have been researching and testing gardening products. This narrow border size leaf rake is one of the best as it is so light and effective and its small size ( 8inches wide) means it is easier to store in your shed.

The design advantages of this new tool are that it has an oval shaped aluminium handle which gives maximum strength but minimum weight. Also the flexible nyglass* tines flick out the leaves from lawns and off soil.

Nyglass is an advanced mix of plastic and fibreglass that is more durable than most plastic used in garden tool.

Price approx £20

Click to buy from a Fredshed recommended supplier

Growing plants in raised planters have many advantages and has been growing in popularity in recent years.

Easy access,  not walking on the soil and good drainage all help to make raised bed gardening an enjoyable and productive experience.

I have tried many systems over the years including these wooden slot together systems and some of the more modern plastic ones.

Click the link below to see the largest range from one of my retailing partners and receive a 10% discount if you mention Fredshed at the checkout!

click here to see some raised bed systems

 Wooden Raised Bedding System

This is an old raised bed system I used at the Nuffield Orthopaedic centre when I worked as a Horticultural Therapist. It was much loved by wheelchair users, elderly gardeners and those with back problems - not to mention the plants that seemed to thrive in it's unique little micro-climate.

Reduces bending

Improves Drainage

No soil impaction from walking

Can help combat pest infestations

The most important tool for this is the Secateur, crucial for stems up to 25mm, anything bigger than that requires the loppers. After 45mm even loppers are no use and a garden saw is required.

A good quality bowsaw like the Bahco one shown left costs under £20 and its massive teeth will cut through most branches with ease. Before you buy a chainsaw I recommend trying a quality bowsaw, its cheaper, more reliable and environmentally friendly.

This Bowsaw is also available in a 30inch version which will rapidly cut large branches that many people would buy a chainsaw for.

Best Ratchet Secateurs for easier pruning

Ratchet Secateurs  give more power but only come with the anvil action which is better for dead wood rather than soft stems.

Ratchet secateurs don't cut as cleanly as the best bypass secateurs but this does not matter on dead wood and if you have arthritis or a weak grip this small disadvantage my be outweighed by the advantage of easier cutting.

1 fibreglass body is light but extremely strong

2 Click and let go ratchet action makes cutting 30% easier

 buy similar CK Legend Ratchet Pruners

Felco Professional Quality Secateurs

These Swiss made Secateurs are the ultimate in quality and are used by most professionals and TV gardening celebs, eg. Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock and Rachel de Thame.

The most advanced model is this one that has a rotating lower handle to reduce finger fatigue. All Felco spare parts are replaceable and the company offer a refurbishment service so these tools can EASILY last your lifetime - guide price £30 - £45

The only criticism I have of Felco secateurs is that I find the safety catches to be a bit fiddly, but they are metal and they don't fall off which is better than many

buy Felco secatuers online from another discount supplier

Best Performing Bypass Secateurs

If you are not bothered about having the very best quality secateurs but want the best performing ones then a modern geared tool may be the answer.

If you have a weak grip or do a lot of pruning then these innovative geared secateurs are superb. They are made of space age Nyglass and have a geared mechanism to reduce the strain of cutting.

They work very well and unlike ratchet pruners they have the bypass blade that gives a cleaner cut on soft or delicate stems.

Made in Finland

-

Keep your secateurs sharp with this excellent tungsten carbide sharpener

approx £9

click below for garden tool sharpener

Fred's Favourite Telescopic Loppers

In my experience many telescopic loppers either snap or the twisting mechanism gets jammed after extensive use.

These  loppers made by Wolf Tools are the  telescopic loppers that I  recommend for serious work based on 5 years of hard work with them. They genuinely cut a  40mm branch with ease and have an easy adjustment method.

The difference between these and other telescopic loppers is that the handles are oval in section and are stronger than round section handles. Also these handles lock in position with a sliding catch with a locating pin. Inferior telescopic handles twist to lock - most of the time!

Wolf RS650T Anvil telescopic Lopper,  RRP £55

 (often discounted to around £40 inc postage)

Use my links opposite for discounted prices from my recommended suppliers.

       AS I AM IMPARTIAL

(Similar models now available from Gardena)

Good loppers are also made by Bahco and Fiskars.

My assistant Vern uses the Wolf Telescopic Loppers whilst wearing his Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Click to see prices of Wolf Loppers from Fredshed's recommended supplier

 check price of these and other loppers from another fredshed affiliated supplier

A good tool to compliment these loppers is a big bowsaw- with these 2 tools you can tackle most small -medium sized trees.

The best Lawn Edging Shears

Lawn edging shears are simple tools that have been around for hundreds of years with few changes. I have tested dozens of pairs and gave one of my coveted Golden Shed Awards to the lightweight Aluminium handled CK legend lawn edging shears.

I think these shears arte the best because they are light, have longer handles and a better cut than any others I have used. They are made in Germany so are a bit pricey but will last a lifetime if kept oiled and adjusted regularly. If you don't want to spend that much but want a simple good quality , European made edging shear then my recommendation is the Bahco P75 tool below

Extra Long Aluminium handles helped win these shears a coveted Golden Shed Award

 click for latest price on CK Legend Lawn Edging Shears

£45 approx.

Flat bladed Lawnshears make a good environmentally friendly and longer lasting alternative to electric grass trimmers.

Unless you have large areas to cut why not get some exercise and let your neighbours hear the gentle click of your shears and not the annoying whine of an electric motor.

The best lawnshears I have found are these Aluminium handled CK legend shears that are made in Germany and are very lightweight and easy to use.

buy these German made lawn shears from a fredshed recomended supplier

The Makita UH4850 is in a different league to most found in large chain stores, it is built to perform - and last!

Makita machines are the most reliable and are well supported for spares and repair - watch this space to see how they compare over time against the cheaper machines.

 check price of Makita UH4850 hedgetrimmer

Makita UH4850

Best pro-quality electric hedge trimmer

Electric Hedge-trimmers - don't get electrocuted!

I am currently testing two different types of safety device aimed at preventing electrocution caused by cutting the cable.

The first from Bosch is a sport of cable tidy and the other is a protection device that covers the cable, I will report my findings soon, meanwhile mail me for details if you want to buy one.

Safety tip from Zena gardening Princess

ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHEN TRIMMING YOUR BUSH!

Use an RCB in case you cut the cable

AND

Don't stand on wobbly ladders

If you have a high hedge get a long handled hedgetrimmer.

Lightweight - Long reach -Cordless Hedge Trimmer

Nominated for a 2007 Golden Shed Award

This fantastic tool is so light and easy to use yet has enough power to cut a proper size hedge. The secret is that the powerful 12v battery is carried on your person (like a handbag full of make up).

The head can be tilted to a comfortable angle and the shaft is telescopic too.

This was one of the best new tools of 2005 and is a real joy to use. The long reach and low voltage also make this tool much safer to use than conventional mains powered hedge trimmers.

The Gtech HT01 is still in production in 2007 and is a well tested product that I have no hesitation in recommending.

coming soon - version with multi-change head!

Buying charcoal or briquettes is expensive and  involves a lot of transport and manufacturing that is not good for the environment. Taking car loads of prunings to the tip is also expensive and a waste of time.

Even a small garden can product a large quantity of logs that can be used to cook food on - if you have the right equipment.

The brazier on the right is superb for burning old twigs and logs and can also be used as a BBQ when the flames die down. Just drop in the grill rack and close the mesh lid down to contain sparks and splashes of fat.

buy a similar brazier with cooking facility

  Click here to see more , Firepits, Braziers and Chimneas online 

Buy yourself a  fork and spade that will last your lifetime

These stainless steel tools are made by craftsmen in Holland and use the best materials. Tools like this cost a lot but will last for years and provide you with pleasure as you use them.

However...

Beware when buying Stainless Steel forks and spades in shops - especially if they are really cheap.

With supermarkets selling tools for a fiver you have to ask how they can do this and make money after shipping such a heavy item from the far east. In my opinion either the tools are total crap , or were made by slaves or a combination of both. The only place I expect to see these tools in years to come is at my local tip.

If you want advice about buying top quality tools e-mail me for a personal reply to suit your needs.

 I can supply all the best makes such as Sneeboer, Dewitt , Bulldog and the new Spork range.

See the new Sneeboer Stainless Steel Digging Fork

See the Sneeboer Stainless Steel Transplanting Spade

see the Sneeboer Ladies Spade

If you cant quite afford the best hand made tools then use the link below to find some reasonable quality tools  from one of my recommended suppliers.

 see the largest range of garden forks online

click on the shed to return to the homepage

Vern says - "do sweep up before you go to the pub"