Tools to Trust
Many readers of this blog email to tell me that their old fashioned garden tools are much better than the ones available in garden centres today. Often the correspondent has inherited the garden spade, fork or hoe from a grandparent or even great grandparent!
It is therefore with great pleasure that I, The Fat Gardener am able to announce that The National Trust and Bulldog Tools have joined forces to create a new range of traditional garden tools.
The National Trust was founded in 1895 by just three individuals: Sir Robert Hunter, Miss Octavia Hill and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley. Worried about victorian industrialisation the three wished to protect and preserve the heritage of the coastlines, countryside and buildings for the people to enjoy. They now open to the public and protect over 350 gardens, historic buildings and ancient monuments. The charity are not run by the government, but have an army of some 55,000 volunteers as well as 3.6 million members, with income generated from membership fees, donations, legacies, commercial operations and pay for entry by non-members.
The challenge for the team at Bulldog tools was therefore to marry traditional British designs with modern manufacturing processes. All the spades and forks are equipped with strong, old fashioned 'boxed D' Ash handles which are designed to shape to your own hand with age and use. The tool heads are solid forged or stainless steel depending on preference, but have a real feeling of quality about them. There are also cutting tools in the range including mini pruners, secateurs and traditional topiary shears and all the tools in the range proudly carry The National Trust Logo on them.
I have often used old tools myself and it is hard to beat the feeling of dependability that an antique spade or fork gives the user. However, with many reclaimed tools costing up to £100 at garden shows around the country the new National Trust garden tools certainly offer a cost effective and high quality alternative.
These new gardening tools certainly are the 'tools to trust'!
You can see the full National Trust range here.
Any comments? Please email us at info@qualitygardentools.com
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