Must-Have Gardening Gadgets That Save So Much Time and Stress – and They're All On Offer so You'll Save Money, Too

Having a garden that's low maintenance as well as lovely isn't just about choosing the right plants that thrive on neglect – you need to get smart with a few time-saving gardening tools, too. The best gadgets are those that not only help you get a job done more quickly, but make it more fun, too: a nifty ergonomic blade that slices satisfyingly through weed roots or a hose that never kinks can turn a garden chore into a garden joy.

Now, I won’t be the first to say that plenty of gardening gadgets don’t deliver on the time- and stress-savings they promise. But some really do. As a self-confessed lazy gardener who's also a gardening editor, I rely on a few tried-and-tested tools that actually make a difference. Because yes, while I love gardening, I also love sitting on the patio, glass in hand, gazing at all the easy-going plants bringing maximum reward for minimal effort.

So in the name of low-maintance gardening, let's save time and cut straight to the good bit, shall we? These are my ride-or-die garden tools and accessories that make the biggest difference in my backyard.

1. Expandable Hose for Easy Watering

Does your hose continually kink and interrupt the water supply, and resist your efforts to wrestle it back into a tidy pile after every use? Because you seriously need to trade it for an expandable garden hose. These stretchy hoses grow with water pressure, then shrink back to a tiny size once you turn the tap off. They're really lightweight and don't kink, too, so are so much easier to use. But the best bit? These super-flexible hoses can simply be dumped in a bucket to store, though many come with a bag and hook for storage.

You do have to be careful not to over-stretch expandable hoses, so it's important to get one that's plenty big enough for your garden. They're available in all sorts of lengths from 25 to 100 feet so, whatever the size of your backyard, there's one that'll easily reach the far corners.

2. Japanese Hoe for Fast Weeding

If you don't have a Japanese hoe then it's about time you did. I find it makes short work of weeding my raised beds, both those full of perennial flowers and in my veggie patch. The blade is big enough to work quickly but small enough to safely manoeuvre around plants, and its angle lets you slice through roots below the soil surface. For annual weeds, a quick pull through the soil is all it takes and, for more persistent, deeper-rooted perennial weeds, the pointed tip is a pretty effective digging tool.

I pack far too many plants into my raised beds, paying zero heed to planting distances, so I find a handheld hoe is so useful to get rid of the weeds without disturbing the soil – and so the roots of the plants I want to keep – too much. Second only to my trusty Japanese hand pruners, which I love to bits, my Japanese weeding hoe is my favorite gardening tool.

3. Garden Scissors for Efficient Deadheading

I'm a big fan of Fiskars' gardening tools, and these pruning scissors make deadheading so quick and easy, compare to using a regular pair of hand pruners. They’re only 6 inches long with ergonomic, soft-grip handles so they fit very comfortably in my hand, and the spring design makes snipping off faded flowers almost effortless – and no-one likes wrist fatigue. But the clincher is the resin-resistant, non-stick stainless steel blades that mean you can keep snipping without stopping to unclog.

My garden is a tangle of cottage-garden blooms that require endless deadheading, and I usually head out into the garden with my scissors and a strong coffee for a 10-minute snip every morning before I start work. And while garden scissors are best for slim-stemmed plants such as cosmos and bachelor’s buttons, these beauties also happen to be the plants that need the most deadheading.

Why do you need two pairs, I hear you ask? Well, gardening law dictates that you will put one pair down somewhere in a border and it will miraculously disappear, only to magically reappear when you somehow lose the second pair!

4. Auger Drill Bit for Planting Bulbs

I love bulbs, but I absolutely hate planting them – or at least, I did until I discovered auger drill bits. Bulbs are an essential part of any low maintenance garden so, if you fancy adding a drift of daffodils to your front yard or a sweep of alliums across a border, then you need to know that an auger drill bit will save you hours of digging and backache too.

There are various sizes of spiral auger to suit different bulbs, that fit a standard drill with an adjustable chuck. Water compacted soil before you drill to make the job even faster, and do wear gloves and safety glasses.

5. Mini Chainsaw For Effortless Pruning

A mini chainsaw may be small but believe you me, a 4-inch blade can still power through those bigger branches that are a struggle to cut with loppers. So, if you’ve got trees or shrubs in your garden that need regular pruning, a mini cordless chainsaw will do all the hard work for you. I use mine for chopping up logs for the fire pit, and all sorts of DIY projects, as well.

While it still gets the job done without any fuss, a mini chainsaw is so much easier to use than a full-size model, too. Designed for one-handed use, it's pretty light and mine weighs a fraction over a kilogram, and that's with the battery fitted. You don’t need any strength to operate it as the chain is designed to cut through wood without any pressure applied. It's true that the battery time isn't as long-lasting as that on a bigger model, but the recharge time isn't as lengthy either.

Out of all the pruning mistakes to avoid, I reckon not having a mini chainsaw to tackle bigger stems should rank pretty highly!

6. Velcro Plant Ties That Are Endlessly Reusable

Whether you’re staking tomatoes or tying a climbing vine to a trellis, Velcro plant ties are so quick and easy to use. Just cut the roll to whatever length you want to make reusable, adjustable plant ties that are soft for stems yet strong enough to stay firm, whatever the weather throws at them.

Made from 65% recycled plastic and durable to re-use time and time again, these are a sustainable alternative to standard plant ties. I find I make lots more small adjustments as the plant grows when I use them in place of regular ties, too, which means I now avoid those heartbreaking calamities such as when an entire tomato plant keels over under the weight of its fruit.

For climbers that you regularly chop back, such as passion flower and most clematis, these touch-and-fasten ties also make the chore of re-tying new growth far less tedious. I use it for all sorts of garden tasks from temporary fence-mends to securing bundles of bamboo canes for storage, too. If you're a fan of easy gardening, you'll be a fan of these ties.

7. Crop-Boosting Automator Trays

If you’re raising tomatoes outdoors and want to keep plants producing all summer, then an automator tray is a really simple yet effective way to boost your harvest by as much as 40%. There’s no magic here, just good ol’ common sense. A tray fits around the stem of a plant and holds water whenever you irrigate, the holes directing moisture to the roots. The more consistent soil moisture level this creates helps to reduce splitting and cracking and, if you're using soluble plant feed, makes sure the nutrients reach the roots rather than being washed away.

You can buy automator trays in all sorts of sizes, from simple stem rings to larger moats. The larger trays are particularly useful in zones with extremes of temperatures. In cooler climates they will warm the soil early in the season and, in hotter climes, reduce evaporation. They help to suppress weeds, too.

8. Watering Spikes to Keep Potted Plants Hydrated

I have no idea why I find it easy to remember to water all the plants outside but am forever forgetting that my houseplants might like a drink, too. And as I adore the luscious fronds of ferns indoors, they need regular irrigation to stay lush. Watering spikes are my solution, and they couldn't be easier to use. You simply pop a spike over the neck of an old wine or beer bottle filled with water, then push into the potting soil, and you have yourself a drip-irrigation system to keep plants hydrated. As an easy way to halve the time you spend watering, it's a winner.

I prefer terracotta watering spikes as the porous clay releases water really slowly, so a litre bottle of water lasts for around 7–10 days. As well as using them for houseplants, they're useful for keeping patio pots watered while you're on holiday, too.

9. Cordless Foliage Trimmer for Shaping Shrubs

As a kid, I used to give my Barbie dolls some pretty barbaric haircuts, and I get just the same joy using a pair of cordless trimmers in the garden now. Hopefully, the result is a little more presentable. With the grass cutter blades fitted, I tidy up the lawn edges alongside the raised beds where the lawnmower blades never quite reach, however hard I try. And while the shrubbery trimmer blade isn’t big enough for any serious hedge action, it does a good job of shaping finer foliage such as buxus and hebe.

A cordless trimmer also makes short work of clearing dead stems and clumps of ornamental grass and perennials after winter, so it's one of the best gardening gadgets money can buy.

10. Stand-Up Lawn Weed Puller

I always skip the weeding when I do my spring lawncare routine to leave a few dandelions in the lawn to provide nectar for early-flying bees when there's not much else blooming. But boy, do I pay for it! I'm not terribly efficient at removing the spent dandelion heads and each one produces around 150 seeds, which keeps me busy weeding the lawn for the rest of the summer.

Since I bought a stand-up weed puller, though, I don't mind this chore at all. It takes all the sweat out removing unwanted plants – even pernicious perennial weeds with long tap roots like dandelions – because you don't need to kneel down to use it. Just step on the foot platform to push the four serrated stainless steel claws over the weed, then tilt to pull the plant out, no bending down necessary.

I do hope you find some of these gardening tools and gadges make life a little easier in the garden for you, so you have time to sit down and enjoy the paradise you've created.