Landscape tools to benefit your gardening or landscaping business

As a professional gardener or landscaping specialist, you know better than anyone which landscape tools work better for certain tasks.

With such a varied and diverse array of jobs, it pays to have a wide selection of tools at your disposal. Different tasks require different equipment, so this article looks at a broad range of options.

Something to be aware of is that Checkatrade members make great savings on business essentials like tools, materials and workwear.

Did you know? In 2024 alone, there were over 475,000 job searches with Checkatrade for landscaping jobs.* That’s a good level of consumer interest to get stuck into!

Now onto the tools…

Essential landscape tools list

As a skilled tradesperson, you know what a difference it makes to have the right tools at your disposal. Whatever the job, you never know what could happen unexpectedly.

Tough roots? Big stones? Customer changing their mind? Maybe even former foundations or building work?

Whatever the challenge, it pays to have a broad array of landscape tools to hand. Either in your immediate toolkit, or safely stored in your van.

Some of the basics to have at your disposal include:

• Spade
• Fork
• Wheelbarrow
• Gardening shears
• Strimmer
• Hedge trimmer
• Chainsaw
• Rakes
• Lawnmower
• Leaf blower
• Aerator
• Trowels and other hand tools
• Bucket
• Edging tool
• Tiller
• Auger

Obviously it helps to understand the nature of a job before you turn up with your tools. If you’re going to trim hedges, you probably won’t have much need for an aerator or tiller.

However, having access to a wider selection of landscape tools means that you’re well prepared for the “can you just…” requests of customers.

That covers the essential tools. But what about your work clothes?

Are there landscaping tools that require training?

When becoming a gardener or landscape specialist, you will probably have gone through some sort of formal training.

However, ‘every day is a school day’ as the saying goes, and so it makes sense to keep training, even after you qualify.

Most landscaping tools don’t require formal training, however, with power tools and other plant machinery, it makes sense to be shown by a training professional. If nothing else, there are additional risks and hazards that you need to be aware of.

College or university courses should go through some of the basics, but you may also want to consider:

• TASK Academy for Land Based Learning
• LearnDirect Landscaping Courses
• Fencing and Construction Training (FaCT) Level 3 Landscape Supervisors Qualification
• Register of Land-based Operations (ROLO) courses
• H&W Training Academies

There are also a range of training courses available through LANTRA, a leading training body for land-based industries in the UK.

Professional landscaping tools for larger projects

As a landscape gardener, there are often projects that take a larger team to carry out. You may even need to subcontract work in order to speed up the job.

For larger jobs, the standard list of landscaping tools may not always be enough to carry out the work.

In those instances, it may be worth having access to other tools. Even if through a hire firm for a short period of time.

That could include:

• Groundworking tools (such as small diggers)
• Cement mixer (for brick-built barbecues or paving)
• Levelling plate (for flattening the ground)
• Pressure washers (to clean new or existing paving)
• Power saws (for custom shaped woodwork)

However, with professional landscaping tools for larger projects, it is worth noting that you could probably address them on a job-by-job basis.

Make sure to factor in any additional costs, such as equipment hire, when pricing up the job before work commences.

Landscape design tools

As a landscaper however, you know that not all jobs require a physical touch. Like with interior designers, landscape design is often a part of your job.

That means it is helpful to get familiar with landscape design drawing tools to help you plot projects for your customers.

Options include:

• Traditional drawing tools – including paper, compasses, set squares and architect scale – naturally this requires some artistic skill
• Landscape design templates – scaled garden elements that can be copied or traced onto hand drawn landscape design plans
• SmartDraw – design software
• Punch! Software – realistic 3D design tool
• SketchUp Pro – 3D modelling and visualisation software
• Land F/X – CAD, plant spacing calculator and scheduling assistant
• PRO Landscape – photo imaging, proposal generator and lighting design
• RoomSketcher – floor plan and layout planning
• Vectorworks Landmark – panoramas and 360 walkthroughs
• Rhino 3D Modelling – creates complex 3D models for larger projects

With a vast array of landscape design tools on offer, it is worth doing your homework.

Unless you’re more familiar with design software, the traditional route of paper and pencil is the more reliable method to explore.

Get your landscape tools for less as a Checkatrade member

Having the right tools to hand makes it easier to carry out certain tasks as a landscape gardener.

But by joining Checkatrade, you could save on your essential landscaping equipment thanks to our partnerships and exclusive trade discounts.

With your Checkatrade membership, you can get your landscape gardener tools for less via:

• Selco
• Wickes
• Tradepoint

Plus, we offer wide variety of other benefits. Simply log in to our Member’s Area to see the current list of offers and discounts.

* Internal search data from users of the Checkatrade.com website in 2024