When you're just getting started in gardening, you need several basic tools. To save money, buy them at a secondhand shop or a flea market. An American spading fork (figure A) is used to open and improve the soil. The tool looks like a pitchfork but has a shorter handle and wide, flat tines. You'll also need a spade (figure B), a square-bladed tool with a long handle, to break up clods of earth and scoop or move soil, sand or other materials. When planting shrubs and trees, you'll also want a shovel (figure C), with a rounded blade. Once you're ready to plant, you'll need a watering can. A long nozzle (figure D) is handy because it dispenses a gentle flow of water and lengthens your reach. Select a watering can with a detachable spray head, which is ideal for watering young seedlings. A bow rake (figure E) has short tines on one side, attached to a metal frame, or bow, and a long handle, usually wooden. It's used to level soil and remove rocks and clods before planting. You can use the flat side of the rake to smooth the soil.
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