5 Tools Every Small-Space Gardener Actually Needs – a Minimalist Toolkit That Ticks All the Boxes

There is a gardening tool for every task, while others multitask. If you only look after a small garden, you don’t need a tool for each job. Instead, why not have a small toolkit filled with a selected range of versatile tools? A minimalist toolkit that covers everything you need.

I think that multi-purpose garden tools are under-rated. As a gardener who for years has had vegetable plots a distance from home, and where sheds weren’t allowed, I now see these as essential gardening tools. Why carry three tools with you, when you can carry one that does many tasks?

I believe the same principles apply if you maintain a small garden. There isn't a need to dedicate a lot of room to storing masses of tools. With these five garden tools every small-space gardener needs, you can maintain a beautiful space. You can carry them in a small tool bag and have anything you need at hand. I use a tool bag like this from Walmart to keep and transport the tools to my plot, and it stores away easily.

Multi-Change Tools

This type of tool changed the game for me. Once I discovered it, I no longer needed to carry many different tools, like a hoe, rake, or cultivator, to the plot. Instead, I could carry one handle and attach different heads to it for all manner of tasks. It meant an entire session’s worth of vegetable garden jobs could be done with one tool, and it is really compact.

I now have attachments for my Wolf Garten multi-change tool for weeding, raking, and cultivating the soil, but there are many more you can get too – in total there are over 50 available. I have a long 59-inch aluminium handle and a shorter 14-inch handle. And I believe the latter is ideal for the needs of any small-space gardener.

Gardeners can use the tool to tend in-ground flower beds, productive plots, raised beds, and more. You can weed or prepare the ground for planting, or even get attachments for tasks as wide-ranging as digging, dethatching a lawn, pruning tree branches, picking fruit, or sowing seeds. It is an ideal tool for a minimalist toolkit.

Hori Hori Knife

Japanese gardening tools have become increasingly popular in recent years, and potentially no more than the hori hori knife. I have used one and seen many other gardening colleagues increasingly adopt them as an essential part of their toolkit.

A key reason they are so adored nowadays is their versatility – which is why I include them here among the top garden tools every small-space gardener needs.

A hori hori knife traditionally has a wooden handle and a sharp steel blade. It makes an essential weeding tool, especially for getting deep-rooted weeds out of the soil, and can be used for planting bulbs and seedlings – indeed, many types have depth markings on the side to help you plant at the right level. The knife can also divide plants, slice through stems to harvest crops, or prune thick stems (if the hori hori has a serrated blade).

I think a hori hori is a great, durable tool that can replace many other tools in your kit. If you look after it, like cleaning it after every use and regularly oiling and sharpening it, then it can last for many years and be a vital part of a minimalist toolkit.

Hoe and Tiller Combo Tool

This 2-in-1 hand tool has a dual-head design, with a flat blade on one side and a pronged cultivating tool on the other. They are budget-friendly garden tools and perfect for small gardens, as they can be used efficiently for several common tasks.

It is a great weeding tool, capable of slicing the roots of small or annual weeds like a typical garden hoe. The small scale of the tool makes it great for quickly weeding around established perennials or crops without damaging them. The cultivator head is perfect for breaking up compacted soil, levelling the surface for sowing seeds, and mixing in organic matter.

There are different types of hoe and tiller tools, including Japanese hand hoe and tillers with wooden handles and steel versions. Small-handed versions are lightweight, versatile, and great for small kitchen gardens, flower beds, and raised beds.

Pruning Multi-Tool

Pruning shears, loppers, and pruning snips all see a lot of action through the year in gardens of any size. A good pair of pruners is a garden tool every small-space gardener needs, but why not consider pruning tools that offer a bit more than a standard pair?

This includes adjustable pruning shears that can do the job of both precise pruning snips and standard secateurs. I tested these Corona Flexdial pruners that had a dial for adjusting how much the tool opens, depending on the size of the stem, from a low setting for quick deadheading up to a maximum cutting size of three-quarters of an inch. I found them a versatile tool suitable for many different tasks in a small garden.

An alternative is multi-functional pruning shears that are designed like a Swiss army knife and have a wood saw blade and a straight-edged blade integrated into the design.

Multi-Purpose Garden Knife

A garden knife is a highly useful part of the toolkit for many tasks. They will be ideal cutting, weeding, or harvesting tools – or the best can do all of those across any small garden. If you don’t have a hori hori knife, the next best option is carrying a multi-purpose knife in the tool bag.

The ideal knife for a minimalist toolkit features different blades on each side, namely a sharp edge for slicing or harvesting thin stems and harvesting, and a serrated edge for sawing through thicker stems and branches or cutting sod when laying turf.

Gardeners can also use a multi-purpose knife for weeding, particularly to dig out the tap roots of perennial and invasive weeds – you do get some with a forked tip specially for weeding – or breaking up compacted soil. It also comes in handy for many other little tasks around the garden, like opening bags of compost or cutting twine to use for plant ties for your climbers.

Another effective way of saving storage space in smaller gardens is embracing collapsible garden tools. From collapsible garden bags to expandable garden hoses (like this 50-foot expandable hose at Walmart) and tools with adjustable handles, you can fill a shed with all the tools you need without sacrificing space.

If you love inspiring garden ideas, outdoor advice, and the latest news, why not sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox?