It’s my favorite time of the year: time to play in the dirt! Here’s a list of some of my favorite gardening tools and resources.

1. Weeder and mini raker. This weeder really helps me get weeds out by the root, and the mini rake is great for getting rid of dead leaves in between plants. I got these last year at the Smith & Hawken store http://www.smithandhawken.com/index.jsp in Georgetown.

2. Plants at the Takoma Farmer’s Market. http://www.takomaparkmarket.com/ This market has a fabulous selection of locally-grown vegetable, herb and flower plants. Plus, you can get some great advice and tips directly from the growers. There’s always a parking spot, but if you get there late you might have a long walk – bring a friend to help you carry all your plants.

3. Gardening Velcro tape. I lost count of how many rolls of this tape I bought last year at Strosniders, http://www.strosniders.com but I won’t have to buy any this year because it’s reusable. Great for tying up tomatoes. Continues after the jump

4. Fiskars pruner
http://www.fiskars.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10101&categoryId=10253 and trowel . http://www.fiskars.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10101&categoryId=10270&productId=10536&page=products I put this pruner through its paces, and even though the blade is now dull, it still cuts. I was unhappy with my trowels until I found this big boy – I love its oversized scoop.

5. Gardener’s Supply catalog. http://www.gardeners.com/ I find things in this catalog I’ve never seen at local stores. It’s an employee-owned company – when the composter I wanted to buy was sold out, the telephone order-taker was obviously a gardener, and gave me frank, honest advice on what would be best for me.

6. Tubtrubs. http://www.gardeners.com/Colorful-Garden-Tub/GardenersEssentials_Cat,35-592,default,cp.html You might not think you need one of these, but once you get one you’ll find a million uses for it. I like the small one for gathering weeds and the big one for mixing soil.

7. Womanswork gloves. http://www.womanswork.com/ I think the photo speaks for itself – I wear these a lot! I have different several pairs for different uses. Oh, and my husband steals these from me all the time, so they do work for men, too.

8. OXO Cultivator. http://www.oxo.com/OA_HTML/xxoxo_ibeCCtpOXOPrdDtl.jsp?section=10503&item=46382&minisite=10024&respid=53057 My last cultivator broke, so I decided to try one of my favorite kitchen tool brands, OXO. This tool didn’t disappoint – I haven’t bent it yet – and I really like its long handle.

9. The Garden Primer. http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Primer-Second-Barbara-Damrosch/dp/0761122753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240505016&sr=8-1 I’d be lost without this indispensable guide – it answers just about all my gardening questions.