The Indespensable Garden Tool

There is one tool that I highly recommend for gardening. It's not a spade, or a fork, or any of the usual tools. It's an electric drill.

Yes, I said a drill. I got mine for $7 at a thrift store. I was very lucky. The drill bits cost more and I bought those on clearance. But even if I'd had to pay $50 for it (I don't know what new drills go for, but I do know you can buy used tools at pawn shops, swap meets and flea markets) I still would not regret the purchase.

Why a drill? Why not a trowel or the other usual and necessary gardening tools? I mean, I do recognize that a hand trowel, a spade, and a weeding tool are all necessary. A pointy trowel is my current favorite because it cuts through compacted dirt easier. But I am currently on my 4th or 5th hand trowel. I bend the handles. I break the handles. I leave them outside and loose them. Etc., etc., etc. So I would say never spend more than $5 hand gardening tools. My shovel, rake and garden fork were all $25 or less. I did a bit of reading up on garden forks and so many people complained of them breaking when they hit a root, I figured, if even the expensive ones are going to break (and garden forks can get EXPENSIVE) then I'm going to buy an inexpensive one.

So, if you haven't guessed yet, I'll confess. I'm cheap. I love a bargain. I love dollar stores. I hate paying more than $20 for pretty much anything. But especially something that's going to sit outside and get weathered and beat up. I also love the idea of re purposing interesting containers as planters. Finally, this is where the drill comes in.

Dollar store planters - 10 for $10.

 No drainage holes in the bottom.

Ta-Da!

Kitty litter buckets are sturdy and gallon size, but again, no drainage holes. So drill baby, drill. Don't worry, I don't have Tidy Cat all over my yard. Krylon paint is an amazing product. Try it. You'll love it.

And finally, storage totes - $3 - $7 depending on the size.

This is my new potato planter. It cost $5. By positioning other planters around it in a grouping, it looks less like a storage tote.

Well it will once the plants fill in. Or if your really crafty, you could construct a wooden box to set it down in. That's what our downtown did.

So remember, drills are not only our friends but a very important garden tool.