Consumer editor Julia Heaton hand picks gloves to see which is the most thornproof
Best Buy 18/20
Tough Touch £26.95 (£2 p&p) Harrod Horticultural,
Tel. 0845 218 5301 www.harrodhorticultural.com
Build: 4
Hand is gold grain leather and the hide cuff has a suede feel. Available in both ladies and gents sizes.
Features: 5
The leather has been treated for more water resistance and the cuff is a…
Grit bin
Forget hunting down the local council grit bin – now making the garden path safe is a whole lot easier. You can have your very own on hand in the shape of the 30 litre mini grit bin from Seltek Warehouse. Made from a tough, recycled black polyethylene it comes supplied with a 25 kg bag of road salt…
A distinct lack of space for a good-sized pond in your garden doesn’t mean you have to give up on the idea.
Now there’s the Pondable – a versatile garden feature comprising a chunky hardwood outdoor dining table with integral plug-in fishpond.
There’s no digging or setting up of complicated running systems involved and it requires just five minutes maintenance…
Wheeled scarifiers help to free the lawn of thatch. See which one of six on test came out top…
Bosmere Lawn Scarifier N652 www.bosmere.com Telephone (01293) 586200 £32.95
BUILD *****
Steel construction with a powder coated and galvanised finish. It has 16 sprung tines, and comes with metal protection guard. The handle took seconds to assemble. Has a working width of 13in…
Keep garden gear in tip top condition with a tool sharpener. Read on to find out which came top in our test
Darlac Diamond Sharpener (fine). To order call Two Wests and Elliot (01246) 451077/ www.twowests.co.uk £12.14 including delivery
BUILD *****
A simple, lightweight sharpener. The plastic body has a neat diamond head. The packaging gives very clear and precise instructions on how…
Find out which tree pruner hits the heights in tests….
Darlac Geared Pruner (DP583) pole (DP560). Telephone (01246) 451077/ www.twowests.co.uk £24.99
BUILD ****
Part of Darlac’s versatile Swop Top range, the carbon steel anvil pruner clips easily to a lightweight aluminium pole.
FEATURES *****
Pole extends from 4ft 3in – 8ft (131cm – 244cm) and blade operates via a cord attached to quad pulleys and…
Get hand tools prepped and ready for a busy spring season, says AG gardening editor Kris Collins
Wooden handles and shafts
Always allow wooden parts to dry out before putting them away, standing them upright to receive good sunlight.
If deep scratches or splinters appear, rub down the whole handle or shaft with fine-grain sandpaper. Deep scratches can be filled in with wood…
Bird camera
Want to know what birds and wildlife get up to in your garden when you are not around? A new motion-activated camera from the RSPB means you really can watch the birdies. A bit like an avian version of Big Brother, this weather-resistant piece of kit will deliver round-the-clock video clips that you can watch on your…
Gardening sun hat
Whether you’ve got jobs to tackle, or simply want to sit back and relax on sunny days, there is nothing better than getting outside in the garden. But warmer weather can leave you red-faced so it’s a good job to cover up.
Designed specifically for gardeners, this twin-peaked hat from Wicked Worm means you’re not only protecting your…
Pro Swingball
Can a garden ball game, designed for use on a range of surfaces, deliver the goods? Consumer editor, Julia Heaton, finds out
I’m always loath to fix nets and the like into the lawn so was interested to see an adult version of kid’s swingball that could be removed at a moments notice. Made by games company Mookie, Pro…
