Does anyone know anything about gardening?

One of the benefits of RHS membership is you can take a partner in to say Wisley, as a guest for free. We offset the cost of visiting once to a full membership because it was only another £40 or something.
National Trust properties get frequented as a family more often though...

If anyone's in the market for a greenhouse, we got a big discount (something like 50%) last year from the greenhouse people in their black friday sale. Looks like the discounts aren't as big this year (~25%) but you can order and defer delivery for a year.

Any suggestions for a good pair of gardening scissors? They'll be a Christmas present so something functional but nice to look at if possible! Functional comes first though.

(I'm aware that this might sound like a boring present but you haven't met my step dad. He'll love it.)

Felco 321 or 322? No experience, but Felco is always a good bet.

They look decent, thanks! Any idea how they'd compare to something from Niwaki? If I was buying for myself, they'd be perfect but the Niwaki might just be a bit flashier for a present. If the Felco are functionally better that takes priority though.

Felco are excellent, the choice of professionals.

Daughter uses Niwaki stuff because I buy it lol. If she was buying it out if her gardeners salary probably Felco....

i used to use felco secateurs but got a pair of okatsune for smaller hands and love them! can't comment on the snips but the secateurs are excellent quality and great value
https://okatsune.co.uk/product/floral-snips-304/

200 tulip bulbs £24 delivered:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XJ5M95P/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3DH3YNGFA0LSL&psc=1

Thompson & Morgan.

Similar tool question ... we're moving house before too long to a place with a lovely garden. I've developed a love for gardening over the last couple of years living in a rented home, so the vast majority of the tools I've been using belong to the landlord.

Anyone have recommendations for what companies make nice tools that I can ask for as Christmas presents? Things like spades, forks, rakes, and a wheelbarrow. I'm also open to suggestions for tools I didn't know I needed or wanted as well. I've got my eye on a Niwaki Hori Hori, for example.

I do like the Niwaki GS pro secateurs and snips but they are carbon steel and will require a certain level of looking after. Just a wipe and oil at the end of the day plus the odd sharpen depending on how much you use.
Sneerboer are nice but pricey for hand tools, Bulldog make the best edging spade bar-none (and I've broken at least three others), Spear and Jackson stainless aren't too bad. Start small and buy when you need.
Get a proper wheel barrow from a builders yard with an anti puncture wheel.

Burgon and Ball are fine for hand tools at the more affordable end of the spectrum.

For a present you can get Monty Don's planting heart shaped tool with engraving of your initials.

https://sneeboer.com/en-gb/hand-forged-garden-tools/planting-trowel-old-dutch-style-monty-don-favourite-tool

Dutch tool makers in general are good - Sneeboer excellent but not cheap. Dewit make good quality things at more reasonable prices - although like everywhere they have gone up a lot recently. I've been fancying their badass trowel for a while
https://www.crocus.co.uk/product/_/dewit-forged-iron-trowel/classid.2000037624/sku.PR30013825

Fucking hell. I had no idea trowels cost so much.

My two have been passed along (a Japanese one I mended from my granny, a mini steel one from my mum). I'll look after them better!

bit cheaper and functional:

https://marshallsgarden.com/products/kent-and-stowe-hand-trowel-and-fork-set-10907033

Trowels absolutely don't have to cost that much, they're purely for the aspirational. Trowels don't break, I've had a set of stainless ones by fuck knows who for as long as I can remember.

Garden forks on the other hand.... I would give my daughters hand in marriage to anyone who could design one that didn't bend or snap if you asked it to do a day's work.

The ones made from gently shaped sheet steel! So pointless!

We picked up an old hand fork in some stately home garden shop, it seems to be made of thick cast aluminium and works well with the addition of some string wrapped round the handle. At some point I'm anticipating it snapping. But until then all good.

I have broken several of the type with a pronounced S bend in the neck, including the Kent and Stowe one linked above

Undoubtedly user error (and awful stony clay), but I now steer clear of that type

This DeWit one is not as expensive as the badass one and hasn't broken on me yet

• the neck is much more robust
  

1 Attachment

Those actually look like they're designed to function, with a 'neck' that is resistant to bending and attached to the blade with a large welded area. Will buy if mine break in the next 15 years, by which time I'll probably be compost. The Kent and whatsit have a tiny welded area, limited leverage before a bout of invective.

https://www.wolf-garten.com/en/ use these at work, bulldog also good.
Niwaki hori isn't anything special, i actually prefer a cheaper serrated one we have.
this tool is great from niwaki though https://www.niwaki.com/forged-trowel/

clearly, i've not been gardening hard enough :)

(tbf, the state of the garden at present does bear this out)

I thought the niwaki horihori was the lfgss endorsed trowel

The local farmers union doesn't sell any unbreakable stuff?

I'd imagine the farmers would riot and dump manure if they sell bad quality there :)

I bent a trowel and broke the handle of one, but since those were £5 BnQ specials and nr3 still lives...cannot complain.