​How Garden Hand Tools Can Get You Ready For the 4th of July

At Frostproof Growers Supply, we take the middle word in our name very seriously: We’re here for growers of all types. Our biggest orders come from orchards that are looking for orchard supplies and harvesting tools, but we also get a lot of orders from everyday gardeners who are just trying to keep their gardens and yards looking their absolute best.

The 4th of July doesn’t necessarily have any sort of harvest associated with it like Thanksgiving does, but it is a day of the year when many people are spending more time outside and enjoying their yards. Today we’re going to take a look at the most common garden hand tools that people are using to get everything ready for Independence Day.

Around the Yard

While the people you invite over might not judge your garden, it’s almost certain they’ll notice problems with your landscaping. Here are some ways you can make it look nicer before they come over on the 4th.

Manual Edgers Keep Things StraightPeople might appreciate it if your lawn is green, and they’ll probably notice if you’ve just mowed it. But the thing that people notice more than anything is a lawn that’s been edged. Why? Probably because they don’t take the time or put in the effort to do it to their own lawn!

Manual edgers take time to use, but the final result is always worth it to give your lawn that perfectly coiffed look. They’re much less expensive than an electric or gas-powered edger, and you’ll be able to control the results more precisely.

Be More Precise With Grass Shears

Many people wonder if there’s still a need for handheld, manual grass shears anymore. After all, in a world with weed trimmer, what’s the point of squeezing a pair of “sideways scissors”?

As anyone with a love of their landscaping will tell you, there is indeed a need for manual grass shears. When a weed trimmer isn’t precise enough, shears are a great way to perform detailed trimming. For instance, if you love your groundcover in the rocks and a weed trimmer would obliterate it as you trimmed the grass, it’s best to leave that area alone until you can come back and do precision work with shears.

Get the Weeds Out!

Weeds are the bane of...well, just about everyone! Farmers hate them, gardeners hate them, landscapers hate them, and homeowners hate them.

If you’re not one to use chemicals — and we can get behind that completely — you might want to invest in a high-quality manual weeder from Fiskars or Yard Butler. These weeders can be used while you’re standing up and get much deeper than other manual means, taking up weeds by the root.

Prune Away!

Admittely, summer isn’t the best time to prune most trees. Some trees prefer pruning in fall, some in spring, and most in winter. You’ll want to read up on our particular tree to see when it wants to be pruned.

The exception is when the branches are already dead, because you’re not shocking the tree as you might when the branches are alive. If you have company coming over, feel free to use hand pruners or loppers to remove dead limbs. Not only will your trees look healthier, but you might also be removing branches that your guests could hit their heads on.

Rake More Than Just Leaves

When most people think of raking, their thoughts go to raking leaves. But there’s so much more that needs raking than just leaves, and if you take a look at your bushes you’ll find that leaves, grass clippings, and bits of branches have all made their way in, on, and behind your landscaping. Grab a good rake and get all of that out of there!

In the Garden

If you’re having people over for the 4th of July, you probably want to have your garden looking nice before they stop by. And while the tomatoes might not be ready just yet, there are some garden hand tools that will come in handy when picking some of the early harvest.

Knee Savers For Tidying the Garden

When you’re moving through the garden picking weeds or harvesting the peas and lettuce, you probably want to be as comfortable as possible when you do so. If you don’t mind being on your knees, we have two types of garden kneelers to give you padded protection from rocks and hard clumps of soil. If you’d rather stay seated the entire time, a garden cart would probably be the best choice...and it can carry your tools around too!

There’s No Place Like Hoe

Weeds are unsightly in a garden, and they’re also taking water and nutrients away from your plants. Get them out of there — and clean up your garden for the 4th — with a high-quality hoe from Frostproof.

Garden Aprons At the Last Minute

Did the 4th of July sneak up on you and you’re running around doing everything at the last minute? Who could have guessed what day of the month Independence Day would be on this year!

If you’re running yourself ragged at the last minute and have to do a quick run through the garden to make it look nice or grab some veggies, put on a Bucket Boss garden apron to protect that red, white, and blue shirt you have one. You don’t want to get the US colors dirty!

Garden Hats Keep You Cool

Whether you’re in the garden or are working in the yard, it’s important to stay cool with a unisex garden hat. If you’re prone to sunburns, it’s especially important that you keep the sun out of your face. Even if you’re not prone to burning, you should still wear a hat in order to protect yourself from UVA and UVB radiation.

Just as important to remember is that staying cool under a hat is simply going to make you feel better during the long day. 4th of July celebrations often last all day, and the fireworks won’t be going off until around 9:30 p.m. in most places. If you’re out in the hot sun all day without protection, you’re just not going to feel very good by the time the real festivities begin, and you don’t want to have a headache or be overheated by the time your guests arrive.

Frostproof Has Your 4th of July Covered!

We aren’t selling much frost protection in the middle of summer, but Frostproof has everything you need to keep your yard and garden in great shape during the warmest months. Click those links above to find the best options available!