WARNING! These ‘tools’ are maybe not tools in the strictest sense of the word. But in the greater sense of the word; a tool is anything that assists in the accomplishment of the task or job at hand. This post just barely scratches the surface. But these are a few of my favourites

This is a garden ‘hod’. You called it a what now? Being able to trace these back to the 1500s it’s little wonder that there are many opinions as to how it came to be named. Much would depend on your personal heritage. The following is from the online Etymology Dictionary

hod (n.)

“portable trough for carrying bricks, mortar, etc.,” 1570s, alteration of Middle English hott “pannier” (c. 1300), from Old French hotte “basket to carry on the back,” apparently from Frankish *hotta or some other Germanic source (compare Middle High German hotze “cradle”). Altered by influence of cognate Middle Dutch hodde “basket.”

A hod is a little workhorse for around the garden, greenhouse and…..well whatever you need it for. I’m always traipsing around with far more things in my hands or tucked under my arms than I can possibly carry without having a mishap. And although I do love a good apron (stay tuned for the apron post); this ‘basket’ can hold veggies or garden tools that need to be hosed down or seedlings headed for the garden. I love a versatile/multipurpose tool.

They can be made quite simply. Or you can add some personal details like a rope handle, or a divider or two. For my purposes I wanted a nice wide useable surface. Hubby made this one to measure 14″ x 14″ inside. His only suggestion is using cedar wood to keep the hod from becoming to heavy and cumbersome once filled with what-have-you.

My second tool I want to highlight today is the Hori Hori knife. It’s a Japanese gardening knife.

The Japanese have been using these knives for centuries.The Japanese word Hori translates into the words ‘to dig’. Where as Hori Hori is the sound of digging. A Japanese onomatopoeia for the digging sound if you will. At any rate you don’t have to know what it means to see how useful this tool can be in the garden. It’s a cross between a knife and a trowel. The rust resistant blade is dished with a serrated edge on one side and a sharpened straight edge on the other. Talk about a multi purpose. This baby does it all. From digging out weeds to planting seeds.

This one is on my ‘wish list’. Another Asian made tool that would be a nice addition to any collection of gardening tools. It’s a Ho-Mi digger. Pronounced Hoe-Mee and meaning “little ground spear” in Korean. These were first made in Korea during the Bronze Age. This tool has been around for 5000 years. You can get these in varying blade styles as shown above and with a long or short handle. They are perfect for hilling, weeding or seeding.

Shifting gears just a little…. Ollas. These are clay pots used for dependable irrigation. I have tried this and it truly is an effective way of supplying a well-gauged source of water. You can certainly find these for purchase online but they don’t come cheap. My solution was to visit a few thrift stores and find those clay wine coolers. Dig a hole and bury them. Cut the bottom half of a plastic soda/water bottle to fit over top. This will allow you to bury it deeper while still allowing for easy filling and avoiding overspill of soil into the vessel. They are particularly good for areas that dry out quickly like raised beds.

Sometimes we don’t need the latest and greatest. We just need to take a step back in time 😉