19th century Hand Rake or Weeder
Particularly useful for grubbing out daisies and general weeding chores.




CUTTING AND PRUNING TOOLS
Shears are an essential tool for the formal garden, to trim bushes into geometric shapes, and have been used for topiary work since Roman times. Originally one-piece spring hand-shears were used, similar to the examples shown here.

Above left to right : Sprung hand shears 50BC; equivalent 20th century spring shears; hand-shears from Diderot's Encyclopédie 1762; shears c.1800; Ladies' shears from Follows and Bates catalogue c.1900.

Above left to right : 'Hathaway' Patent Hedge Clipper 1909; Spong multi-cut c.1930; 'Astor shears for hedges and grass' made by Flexa Lawnmower Co Ltd, Woking c.1935; Electric multi-cut shears by Wilkinson Sword c.1980.

Above left to right : 'Little Wonder' hedge shears c.1930; Two gardeners using the 'Little Wonder' clippers, from William Wood catalogue of 1938; 'Code Half-time' clippers, patent registered 1949; Tarpen electric hedge cutters c.1955; Advert for Tarpen-Trimmer c.1950.

Above left to right : Gardeners' knives, some with saw 1750-1800; Gardener's knife with sheath c.1900; Knives from Carter's catalogue 1898 - pruning and budding knife combined and Botanist's knife with magnifying lens; Two budding knives c.1900.


DIBBERS

Above left to right : Pricking-out tweezers with dibber end, ivory and brass, late 17th century; Carved dibber, Norwegian, 18th century; Large iron dibber c.1850; Potato dibber c.1880; Home-made dibber from old spade handle c.1900; Small turned wood dibbers c.1990.


Continue the Tools Tour



 
 
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