Subject: Re: Favorite Garden Tools

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 95 17:29:40 EST

Got mine at an irrigation parts supply store.  It's 4" wide along it's
entire blade (i.e. straight sides).

IB>Where did you purchase your trenching spade!? This sounds a lot like a
IB>spade I own that's beginning to show its age. Mine is about 5" wide at
IB>the top of the blade and tapers to 4" wide at the bottom.
IB>Bob Batson                              L 39 12 14 N  94 33 16 W
IB>[email-masked]                      Kansas City
IB>[email-masked]                    USDA zone 5

Richard Shiell, ASLA        Bakersfield, CA        [email-masked]
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 þ SLMR 2.1a þ Old gardeners don't die, they just go to seed.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 95 13:01:07 EST

Steven posted:
IS>        I would love to hear more about the two handed trowel, though.

Since the blade of the trenching spade is relatively light weight, and
balances well with the handle, I often use it instead of a trowel
while kneeling in the garden and planting or weeding.

It gives great leverage to pop out stubborn weeds between large
perennials, and is ideal for horizontally undercutting stolons or
rhizomes (i.e. weeding bermuda grass, bamboo, and other green
menaces).  It's also good for planting bulbs that need to be over 4"
deep.

IS>>Do you have a favorite garden tool?  I sure do:

IS>>A narrow-bladed shovel; specifically, a 4" trenching spade.  Mine has
IS>>a maplewood handle, and cost about twenty five dollars (U.S.).
IS>>Although it's made for digging narrow trenches (for pipe, wires,
IS>>etc.), it's incredibly handy.  Note:  it's a full sized shovel, with a
IS>>long narrow blade at about a 30-degree angle to the handle, and is
IS>>very sturdily built.

IS>        Thanks for bringing up such an interesting subject.

Thank you, Steven, for also being a tool enthusiast.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 95 13:01:07 EST

Steven posted: