Garden Spade

One of the most useful garden tools used today is the humble garden spade, its simple design largely unchanged from its origins thousand of years ago. A bronze spade head closely resembling its modern counterpart is believed to have been used in China as early as 1100BC.

The modern garden spade comes in a range of sizes and weights and costs vary accordingly. Look for polished stainless steel heads which are great for resisting rust and will reduce the amount of soil adhesion, teamed with a traditional hardwood shaft that is weather proofed – this will give greater durability and a prolonged life.

With a huge choice available, you might well be overwhelmed when going to buy a garden spade. Some will offer ergonomically designed tilting handles for comfort, which is a good idea if you have a lot of work to do in your garden. Try to ensure that your garden spade has centralised foot tread - this will reduce slipping and unbalancing and will deliver more digging power with less effort and muscle strain.

The wider your garden spade, the less bending you will be doing, but bear in mind how heavy the spade will be when it is lifting a full load of soil.

Whatever size and specification you buy, always make sure you care for your garden spade by cleaning it after use, and applying a little oil on the head to prevent rust. Store in a dry shed or garage and it will give you years of good service.