By Jessie Milligan
McClatchy Newspapers

FORT WORTH, Texas — Ellie Bomar of Southlake, Texas, picks up an ordinary spade to rearrange her backyard plants, even the big ones. A 15-foot-tall pomegranate? No problem. She cuts it back, digs it up and moves it across the yard. She has moved about 40 backyard plants in the past four years, mostly to rescue sun lovers from encroaching shade.

Judy Butler of Arlington is more inclined to grab her Japanese garden knife when she volunteers for landscaping duty at her church. The hori hori’s long blade makes quick work of digging small holes, slicing out weeds and trimming back plants.

The favorite tools of gardeners range from the commonplace to the unusual. They’ll tell you why a 10-tine pitchfork is a must for turning compost, why a camera is a great friend in the garden and even why it’s important to have a granddaughter named Miranda.

First, a word about the granddaughter. When asked about his favorite garden tool, Steve Smith, a Fort Worth, Texas, lawyer, said: “Well, at the risk of being arrested for violating child-labor laws, it’s Miranda, my granddaughter.”

Smith started showing her plant labels as a way to get her interested in reading and spelling. She took to it and started planting and bonding with her grandfather. Now, at 8, Miranda has her own set of hand tools.

“They are made in China,” she says, reading the back of a handle.

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THE BASICS

Not every gardener is lucky enough to have a helper. But every gardener should have a spade, often also called a shovel — although to be specific, a shovel is used to move material, while a spade is used to dig.

Many gardeners swear by the sharp-shooter spade. That’s not a brand name. The sharp shooter gets its nickname from its narrow blade.

“It is just perfect for slipping down beside a root ball and dislodging it so I can lift it for transplant,” says Cindy Woelke of Colleyville, Texas. “The blade on a regular spade is so wide that it is harder on my back to lift it when it is full of soil.”

Woelke, a volunteer at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, uses her sharp shooter every week to remove tiny trees planted by squirrels.
Where to find a sharp shooter: We found one at Lowe’s for $26.

TOMORROW -- TOOLS FOR MOVING THINGS