Garden Tools

8 guides in Gear & Reviews.

Start here

Spade vs Shovel: Which One You Actually Need

A spade cuts, a shovel scoops — and most people are digging with the wrong one. The difference, the handle types, and what to check before buying.

Gear & Reviews · Oct 25, 2026

Under a hundred, the trade-offs are storage fees, night range and power. Five types compared on what they cost to own, not just to buy.

Gear & Reviews · Oct 11, 2026

Poly trays are lighter, rustproof and easier on concrete clean-up. Steel takes sharp rubble and heat without cracking. Each fails differently.

Gear & Reviews · Oct 11, 2026

A leaf blower clears a few inches of dry powder quickly. On wet, packed or deeper snow it does nothing, and cold is hard on the machine.

Gear & Reviews · Oct 5, 2026

A barrow's rated capacity is not what you can lift. Realistic loads for soil, gravel, sand and mulch — and the sum that works for any material.

Gear & Reviews · Oct 5, 2026

How to clean garden tools at season's end: scrape, sharpen, then oil. 4 items cover the whole routine in about an hour. See what each one does.

Gear & Reviews · Oct 5, 2026

CFM is how much air moves, MPH is how fast. One shifts piles, the other unsticks wet leaves — and the numbers are not comparable between brands.

Gear & Reviews · Sep 14, 2026

The best leaf blower is chosen on CFM, not MPH. 4 picks compared by plot size, with hearing protection noted. See which fits your garden.

Backyard Weekly

One email a week: what to plant now, what to fix, and what is worth buying. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Not ready to subscribe? The planting calendar is free and needs no email.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. Grow In Backyard will never sell your address.