
Have You Ever Wondered What You Need To Garden? I Share What Helpful Items I Keep In My Garden Bag!
When I started gardening earlier this year, I didn't know what helpful items I would need for gardening. Throughout the season, I realized what essential items I always wanted to have when I garden. In this post, I will share my top helpful items in my garden bag.
Item # 1 - A Good Garden Bag Or Basket
To begin with, you need a strong base, much like you want a strong foundation when building a house - you want a strong bag or basket to keep your items in. My first bag was essentially a heavy-duty plastic bag, and eventually, the straps broke! After that happened, I dug through my stash of bags and decided to use this bag that had some strength to it and was even lined inside.
You could also use a bucket or a basket, it all depends on your needs. For me, I need something I can easily store at my house, and quickly grab and go to the garden with. My garden is about 5 minutes from my house, so it has to be portable.

Item # 2 - Garden Pruning Shears
After you have a perfect way to store and carry your items, the next thing you should get is a pair of pruning shears. You need pruning shears so you can easily prune or cut plants in your garden. I found these to be useful when harvesting kale, trimming tomatoes, or microgreens. Pruning shears are typically lightweight, small, and allow for a very precise cut. There's nothing worse than being in the garden pulling something off a plant only to realize you've overdone it and pulled too much. Pruning shears will save you that headache!
Why A Water Bottle Made My Helpful Items List As Item # 3
In due time you will find yourself doing a "quick trip" to the garden, only to find that you have more work than anticipated. When that happens, it's important to have water on hand (especially in the heat of Summer!). I like to use my large gallon water bottle - yes, it holds a full gallon of water. For me, I'd rather have too much water ready and waiting than not enough. Knowing I have plenty of water gives me peace of mind on days when my "quick trip" turns into a 2-hour trip to the garden. As a bonus, this bottle has a handle on it, so I don't have to fit it in my bag.
Item # 4 - Dowel Rods
The next thing I keep in my garden bag is dowel rods. I decided to buy a long dowel rod, and cut it down into 12" - 15" lengths. Dowel rods have many uses in the garden, including supporting plants like tomatoes. When I was in the garden, I found that dowel rods were also great for planting seeds. I would press the rod into the dirt to make a place for my seed. Then, I just needed to fill in the area with dirt! I also found that I could use them to mark out an area I was planting in, so I didn't lose my spacing.
When I coupled the dowel rods with support clips (item # 5 on my list), I found them to be even more useful! The combination allowed me to support my large corn stalks and kept them upright when they were not too strong. Once the corn stalks were strong enough to support themselves, I was able to easily remove the clips and dowel rods.
Dowel rods are also re-usable, meaning I can use them as supports all season, and then use them again next year! Saving me time, money, and energy every year. I can't wait to see what other creative uses I can use for next season.

My Final Item On My Helpful Items List - # 5 - Support Clips
Shortly after the garden season started, I found out about support clips. These clips specifically called out tomatoes & cucumbers, but I thought I could use these for other things in the garden. I bought a bag of 300 clips, which was a large amount, but they won't go bad. The support clips and dowel rods are sometimes used together, and both saved me many times over the season. These fit very easily in my garden bag!
Throughout the season, I found myself using these clips to support my snap peas and tomatoes, and I even got creative and used them to support my corn. I had no idea how many uses I would find for these support clips, and I was glad I had them. Again, this is something that is always in my garden bag. I never know how my garden has changed since the last time I visited, so I like to have these available in case something needs support.
What Is Your Top Helpful Item For The Garden?
I've shared my top 5 helpful garden items, now I'd like to read your top helpful items for the garden! Let me know on Instagram your helpful item(s) in the garden!