If you’re an avid gardener and Anglophile like myself, then you’ve probably heard of Monty Don. He’s host of the long-running British television program Gardener’s World, in which he uses his own magnificent garden to teach essential gardening skills—with the help of his adorable dogs.
You may have noticed, if you’ve ever caught an episode, there’s one particular tool Monty reaches for again and again. I made a mental note of it a couple years ago when I first started watching because I had never seen a tool like it before. It’s a heart-shaped type of garden trowel that he uses to chop into the ground almost like an axe.
Just last week, as I was scrolling online, I happened upon a product that looked just like Monty Don’s favorite gardening tool and finally had a name for this mythical implement: the Dutch trowel.
What Is a Dutch Trowel?
The Dutch trowel is a unique garden trowel with a heart-shaped blade. You can use it with a digging and scooping motion like a normal trowel, but the traditional way to use this gardening tool is with a downward chopping motion. That’s how Monty typically uses it and how the Dutch use it to plant bulbs by the million.
One of the special features of the Dutch trowel is its sharp edges. They also typically have a flat blade as well, including Monty’s. There are varieties that have curved or bent blades. But with a flat, sharpened blade you can easily chop into the dirt and mix up the soil to create the perfect planting hole.
The Dutch use this tool to plant tulips and other spring bulbs. It makes the job quick and easy because the sharp blade is able to slip down into the soil to the ideal planting depth for bulbs. You can then use the flat blade to cover the bulbs and tamp down the soil all with one smooth sweep over the hole.
Monty Don’s Favorite Trowel
When I recently came across a Dutch trowel for sale online, my first thought was, Hey, that’s the tool Monty Don always uses! And as I read through the product description it even said, “Favorite tool of English TV gardener Monty Don.” Finally, I had found the tool I’d been wondering about for years.
The exact tool Monty uses is the Old Dutch Style Trowel from Sneeboer, but shipping costs to the U.S. are quite high. So I decided to scour the internet for the best dupes you can buy, following Monty Don’s advice. He tells gardeners that cheap trowels don’t last. Instead, look for high-quality metal, good manufacturing, and a hardwood handle.
Shop Dutch Trowels
Here are the best Dutch trowels to help you grow a garden just like Monty Don's:
This Oversize Perennial Trowel from Berry & Bird on Amazon is an absolute steal! It’s the best Monty Don Dutch trowel dupe I’ve found—and I’ve looked at a lot of trowels.
It has a flat heart-shaped stainless steel blade and a solid ash handle, just like Monty’s. Plus, it comes with a leather strap that makes it easy to hang up in your shed or garage for easy organization. Adding to cart now…
If you want an authentic Dutch trowel from a heritage brand, but you don’t want to drop a ton of money on one tool—then this is it. DeWit has been making high-quality garden tools since 1898, so you know it's a brand you can trust.
The DeWit Potting Trowel is handmade in Holland using durable boron steel and an ash wood handle. Plus, it has a curved blade that makes it better for scooping than Monty’s trowel.
This Sneeboer Traditional Dutch Transplanting Trowel, which you can buy at Anthropologie of all places, is from the same brand as Monty’s favorite trowel.
This one has a slightly longer blade and a bend down the middle, compared to Monty’s Old Dutch Style Trowel. But in terms of long-lasting quality, Sneeboer can’t be beat. Their tools last for generations, so you should think of them as an investment for the future.
