Ah! It's that time of year when the weather is warming up, and gardeners everywhere are itching to get outside to work in their gardens. After being cooped up indoors all winter long, what might seem like an unpleasant chore to some (weeding for instance!) might actually be enjoyable. Whether you need to till your soil, prune your rose bushes or get rid of pesky weeds, all gardening chores are easier with clean tools in good condition.

There are four steps to preparing gardening tools for the growing season.

ASSESS

You can't prepare your garden tools for use unless you know what you have and what condition they are in. Pick a nice sunny day, and place all of your garden tools in a spot where you have room to move around.

Separate the garden tools into three piles: one for tools that are clean and in good working order, one for those that need fixing and/or cleaning, and one for tools that are beyond repair. Put away the good garden tools for now. They're ready to use in your garden when the time comes. Resist the temptation to put the hopelessly broken garden tools back where you found them, and take them to the trash can before proceeding on to step two.

REPAIR

Many garden tools can be good as new with a little TLC or help from a handyperson. Now is the time to tighten bolts and handles, oil hinges, use sandpaper to smooth rough wood on rake and shovel handles, sharpen the blades on your pruning shears, etc.

CLEAN

Dust all of your garden tools that are only mildly dirty with a soft, clean cloth. If you left any tool caked with mud all winter (shame on you!), get out the hose and wash them, then dry them off. Pruning shears should also be given a light coat of oil, such as WD-40.

ORGANIZE

Now that all of your tools are clean and in good repair, it's time to organize them so they'll be handy when you need them. If you don't already have a pegboard for hanging and storing your garden hand tools, consider putting one up. They really are a great way to keep all the tools neat and visible. Racks that store your long-handled tools, such as brooms, shovels and rakes, are also really nice to have, and not terribly expensive.

A little tool preparation now will ensure that your summer gardening chores get done quickly and efficiently. Now that your garden tools are all shiny and like-new, don't you just want to head outdoors and put them to good use?

Learn more about this author, Julia Williams.
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