You Need a Cool-Weather Garden Tool Kit. Here’s What Should Be Inside It.

Where we are big supporters of the “leave the leaves” movement, it’s important to keep certain areas free and clear to avoid rot and diseases. This little hand rake is perfect for getting into those small spaces below shrubs and trees to clear debris away from stems and trunks.

It’s mulch drop season! I love using an oversized scoop to spread micro bark and redwood mulch around native shrubs and fruit trees to provide them a little extra soil insulation for the cooler wet season. 

Warmth and protection in one, they are particularly great in the cooler months when tackling pruning of sharper shrubs.

Superior snips for cutting back perennials, shrubs, and small trees. The sap groove prevents sticky buildup, which is perfect for working on resinous plants like creosote bush, aspen, desert willows, birch, and alder.

Lightweight, breathable fabric to protect tender plants, especially native perennials or fall veggies, from frost while still allowing airflow. These will last for years and prove essential for extending the growing season in areas with early frosts.

Spread those seeds with ease! Replant hillsides, native grasses, and wildflowers with this tool which allows for uniform dispersal which will not only aid in erosion, but also stabilize the soil and promote biodiversity.

These might seem silly until you realize how much up and down goes on while working your way through the garden. Having a garden pad is one thing, but having two attached to your knees is game-changing. These are essential for long hours of planting or maintenance tasks like mulching, weeding, and working on raised beds in cool, damp conditions.

Great for cold-weather composting, this tool keeps your pile active through the cooler months, turning garden waste into rich compost that can enhance your soil come spring.

Unlike other styles that lock your plants in place, these can be used as half moons or locked into a full ring making them a great temporary support for stabilizing native grasses, shrubs, or young trees through windy, rainy winter weather, while preventing damage and encouraging upright growth. These can be reused in the warmer months for floppy summer blooms such as peonies, zinnias, and dahlias. 

The MVP of my garden. I’m constantly needing to clean up neighboring pine and eucalyptus debris along my gravel garden paths and this vacuum not only cleans quickly and has a long-lasting battery, but it also mulches plant matter, making composting a breeze.

Speaking of gravel pathways, keep rocks in place with this wide-tooth rake. Not just for pebbles, this is also perfect for Southwest landscapes or decomposed granite in xeriscaping, the wide-set tines makes it easier to smooth and maintain surfaces, which can shift and slope during the cooler, wetter months.

This attachment might seem extreme, but not for those who find themselves trying to plant in dense wet clay. Made to work with any cordless drill, it creates deep, uniform holes, which are perfect for establishing native shrubs like ceanothus or manzanita that require proper root spacing and aeration.