There are plenty of fancy gadgets that you can buy for gardening but really for the basic gardener there are only ten tools that you will need to get started.

Trowel -  This is the best tool for when you are wanting to get up close and personal with your planting. It has a short blade and a short handle, and its great for planting the smaller plants or the bulbs.

Watering can – A handy tool when you don't want to worry about fussing with a hose.  It should have a long spout because you can get the water to where the plant needs it to most – the roots and the base of the plant.

Shovel – Shovels are for removing big rocks, spreading soil, digging large holes in your garden.  The shovel that you should get is solid steel so that it won't bend when you dig.  To prevent accidents or blisters, make sure you can get a good grip on your shovel's handle.

Garden fork – This is a little tool about the size of the trowel, except it has a lot of prongs.  You want to get a fork with prongs made of stainless steel – they are the strongest.

Small bag or basket – It's always a good idea to bring something with you to put your debris in. Then you can empty the bag or basket into the compost pile when you are finished with your work.  Be certain that it's not very heavy, because you will get tired from lugging it around otherwise.

Pruner. - This tool is a must have when you are dealing with branches of trees, thick stems, or when you have to trim shrubs.  When you are shopping for a pruner, give it a try and make certain that you can use it, that it's the right weight for you, and that you can grip the handle well.

Scissors or shears – You can use small shears or scissors if you are cutting flowers for a bouquet, since their blades are pointed at both ends and that makes it easy to get between stems.

Soaker Hose – This hose has small holes in it and its left in the garden all summer.  When it's on, it delivers water to the entire garden at root level.

Garden Cart or Wheelbarrow – This is handy when you are lugging around heavy items, like vegetables that have just been harvested, or soil.

Rake – You use rakes to bring together twigs, leaves, and any other debris in the garden.  You want to make certain that your rake, if it has a wood handle, has no splinters, and that the rake handle is long enough so that you don't have to bend over to rake.