Complete Tool Catalogue
Monty Don's Gardening Tools
The complete catalogue of every gardening tool Monty Don uses, recommends, and relies upon at Longmeadow. Browse by category, compare prices, and find the exact tools seen on BBC Gardeners' World.
Browse by Category
The Essential Seven
Trowel
Sneeboer Old Dutch Trowel
The hand-forged Dutch trowel Monty has used for decades at Longmeadow. Its narrow blade and perfect balance make it ideal for planting, transplanting, and working in tight spaces between perennials.
Spade
Digging Spade
A full-sized digging spade with a treaded blade for comfortable use. Monty favours stainless steel with an ash handle, the traditional combination that has served British gardeners for generations.
Fork
Border Fork
The border fork is Monty's workhorse for incorporating compost and loosening soil without inverting it. Lighter and more manoeuvrable than a full digging fork, it suits raised beds and borders perfectly.
Secateurs
Bypass Secateurs
Monty insists on bypass secateurs over anvil types because they make clean, precise cuts that heal faster. He keeps a pair in his back pocket every single day he is in the garden.
Rake
Garden Rake
For preparing seed beds and achieving a fine tilth, nothing replaces a quality garden rake. Monty uses his to level soil, remove stones, and create the perfect surface for direct sowing.
Hoe
Dutch Hoe
The Dutch hoe is Monty's secret weapon against weeds. Used regularly on a dry day, a sharp hoe slices weed seedlings just below the surface before they ever establish themselves.
Knife
Garden Knife
A folding garden knife lives in Monty's pocket alongside his secateurs. He uses it for taking cuttings, opening compost bags, cutting twine, and dozens of small tasks throughout the day.
Philosophy
Monty Don's Tool Philosophy
Monty Don has always been refreshingly clear about gardening tools: buy the best you can afford, look after them properly, and you will never need to buy them again. It is a philosophy rooted not in extravagance but in practicality. A cheap spade that bends at the neck after one season costs more in the long run than a well-forged one that lasts thirty years. This is the central lesson Monty returns to again and again on Gardeners' World, in his books, and in every interview he gives on the subject.
At Longmeadow, his garden in Herefordshire, Monty keeps his tool collection deliberately small. He has spoken many times about the trap of accumulating gadgets and specialist implements that promise to make gardening easier but end up gathering dust in the shed. Instead, he argues that seven core tools will cover virtually every task a gardener faces throughout the year. A spade, a fork, a rake, a hoe, a trowel, secateurs, and a knife. Master the use of these seven, he says, and there is very little you cannot accomplish in the garden.
What sets Monty apart from many gardening presenters is his emphasis on the relationship between gardener and tool. He talks about how a well-used trowel develops a patina, how the handle of a spade wears to fit the shape of your hand over time. Tools are not disposable commodities in his world. They are companions in the garden, objects that improve with age and use. His beloved Sneeboer trowel, for instance, has been with him for well over two decades. The stainless steel has been polished by thousands of hours of contact with soil, and the handle has darkened with the oils from his hands.
Maintenance is the other pillar of Monty's philosophy. He cleans every tool after each use, wiping off soil and moisture before hanging them up. In winter, he sharpens blades, oils wooden handles with linseed oil, and checks for any looseness or wear. This ritual of care is, for Monty, part of the pleasure of gardening itself. It is a moment of quiet reflection at the end of the day, a way of honouring the work done and preparing for the work to come. His tools are always sharp, always clean, and always ready. That discipline is what separates a gardener who fights their tools from one who works in harmony with them.