Garden bag: Martha has been an avid gardener for decades, tending acres of healthy vegetables, flowers and herbs growing on her farm in Bedford, New York. Through her years of experience, she has created the perfect gardening bag. It contains the essentials our founder uses for pruning, weeding, planting and everything in between. To make sure you only have the bare essentials on hand, we’re sharing the gardening essentials you’ll always find in Martha’s bag.
Pruners
Martha always carries these Okatsune shears in her garden bag. “These are the best,” he says. “Sharp as can be. Made from the highest quality Japanese steel, these shears effortlessly cut branches up to 25 millimeters thick, including those of shrubs, roses, fruit trees and climbing plants.
Herb cutter
Martha uses these Clauss Bonsai Shears to trim herbs and trim dying or dead leaves. With sharp tips and a long handle, these clippers are great for hard-to-reach places. The blades are made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel, making cuts easy and precise.
Japanese Weeder
Martha discovered this tool in the 1970s and still considers it the ultimate weed. “This digs, it makes nice holes, and it also scrapes the weeds off the surface,” he says. If you’re looking to add one to your gardening bag, try this variation from Miraise, which features a sharp edge for quick weeding.
Gavel
You will always find a mallet in Martha’s garden bag, as it is useful for driving stakes into the ground. Bamboo is often used to impale cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables that a hammer would split – the mallet keeps the bamboo intact. This option from Edward Tools has a durable rubber head for a soft impact that won’t cause damage.
Hori Hori knife
One of Martha’s favorite gardening tools is the hori hori knife, which can be used as a digger and has a serrated blade that can cut through thick stems. Many hori hori knives, like the one pictured, have measurements on them so you know how deep to plant. Martha advises planting Galanthus bulbs 3 inches deep; use a hori hori knife to insert them at that depth.
