A good fork is essential for breaking up the earth, whether you are mixing compost into your vegetable patch or creating a new flowerbed. Test the feel of the fork in the shop before you buy so you get the right weight and height for you.

Garden forks can cost anything from £15 to £70 and you get what you pay for, but if you don't plan to do much heavy digging you won't need one of the more expensive, durable designs

Where to buy Traditional garden fork, £56.50, from the Eden Project

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It would be impossible to dig over a bed or plant shrubs without a spade. As with the fork, test the weight and height before you buy to get the right size for you. Some of the more sturdy designs might suit burly builders but can prove unwieldy for the average 5'5" female. Look out for easy grip handles, carbon steel or stainless steel rust proof heads and a strong hardwood shaft securely riveted into the head

Where to buy Nurseryman's spade, £50.50, from Bulldog Tools

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The sharp edge of this curved blade slices through turf allowing you to cut a crisp edge round your flower beds. Choose a design with a flat top edge to give you extra purchase as you tread down

Where to buy Treaded edging knife, £31.03, from Bulldog Tools

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This is used to break up the surface of compacted soil and loosen weeds. Both short- and long-handled versions are available or, for a really big project, you might prefer to save your back and hire a petrol-powered cultivator

Where to buy Three-tine cultivator, £13.25, from the Eden Project

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Use a hoe as a surface tool, between flowers in beds or rows of vegetables, to uproot weeds. But take care not to get too carried away - enthusiastically chopping down young plants and seedlings along with the dandelions.

Where to buy Dutch hoe, £14.99, from Grow Your Own World

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A trowel is a mini spade; use it with a hand fork when planting bulbs or tackling your tubs and hanging baskets. As with all tools you get what you pay for. The cheap and cheerful coloured trowels sold as gardening gifts look pretty but may only last a season. To avoid your trowel bending and breaking as you bed in the begonias look for a rigid metal head tightly bonded to an easy grip handle.

Where to buy Carbon steel hand tool gift set, £8.99, from Greenfingers.com

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This is a small hand tool with a forked end used for grubbing out weeds in the lawn. With this, you can pull up daisies and dandelions without damaging the surrounding grass.

Where to buy Soft-touch handle daisy grubber, £4.83, from Bulldog Tools

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Use your rake to level and break up soil prior to planting seeds, to gather up autumn leaves or to scarify the lawn in spring.

Do not use this tool to give yourself a sudden and unpleasant smack in the face. This can be avoided by always laying the rake down with the teeth safely facing into the ground.

Where to buy Stainless steel rake, £17.60, from Blooming Tools

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This is one of the few tools you can make yourself as it is basically a pointed stick used for making drill holes for seeds or young plants. A serviceable dibber can be fashioned out of the wooden handles that snapped off your cheap trowel, spade or fork before you invested in a decent set.

Where to buy Dibblet, £4.95, from Greenhouse Sensation

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This works almost like a cookie cutter, allowing you to remove and replace a plug of soil. Simply drop in your daffodil or tulip bulbs and wait for spring  

Where to buy Bulb planter, £56.50, from Bulldog Tools

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