‘I have been gardening professionally for over five years, many more for enjoyment and wellbeing. Moving from job to job I quickly learnt to thin out my equipment and only carry what I really need into a garden. You can always leave tools in the car and pop back to get them.

I soon realised that I was using the same basic tools but could do lots of tasks with them. Here are my favourites:-

For hand to hand weeding I love my dual headed hoe/weeder, hoe one side 3 claws on the other. For me it works a treat on weeding especially in flinty/chalk soil. I have a detachable head which fits onto different length handles so I can use it kneeling down or standing up.

Trowel – it’s worth trying out a few to find the correct weight and balance for you. Mine has a sharpened stainless steel heart-shaped blade and timber handle. Stainless steel is far better, does not rust and you can take soil samples without tainting the results.

A really good pair of secateurs that are very sharp, easy to sharpen and most importantly fit your hand, and the dominant one at that. I have small hands so need a small size that is not too heavy as I use them a lot. For me it’s Niwaki but others love Felco, it’s a personal preference. I do enjoy sharpening them, it’s quite therapeutic.

A good pair of snips for deadheading and pruning small stems. For me it has to be ARS Fruit Pruners that we sell at the nursery shop. Not found anything better yet.

Loppers – I use a good pair of bypass loppers with stainless steel blades. The bypass action produces a clean cut that is better for a live stem/branch of a shrub, an anvil action tends to crush the stem and can let infection in.

Hori-Hori – a Japanese trowel, sharp with a concave blade. Amazing for weeding, digging and planting bulbs in stony soil, it is very versatile.

Twine – a roll of natural jute twine or similar. It blends into the garden, biodegrades and can be reused by birds building nests.

Gloves – again a personal preference but find some that fit you well and protect your hands. For rose pruning and most other tasks I rely on my leather gloves and gauntlets. Loads of good manufacturers and products out there but try to get them at fairs where you can try before you buy.'