Tools and Supplies: Cutting

I don't have a lot of gardening related tools and gadgets because when you're container gardening, you really just need the basics. So I'll tell you what works for me. For pruners, the Felco #2 has everyone beat hands down. This is the pruner to choose if you plan on having an extensive garden, if you're growing roses or perennials with woody stems (like my Japanese Maple, shown here), or if you just are the type who wants the ultimate cutting tool. They'll probably cost you close to $50. They can be found online (Felco) as well as in well-stocked nurseries. Whatever you do, don't leave them out in the rain, as I have done in the past.










For lighter cutting work, which is mostly what I do, I reach for this pair of Joyce Chen Unlimited Scissors. These are marketed primarily as kitchen scissors but I have used them for years in my garden and have a spare pair just in case. They are comfortable and make deadheading and trimming a breeze. Well worth the $20. I've seen them in lots of places: online, of course, but also in specialty kitchen stores as well as department stores.