Elli and her Hoe
I do love my hoe. My Dutch neighbour at my previous house taught me that there is one indispensable tool to a gardener: the Dutch hoe, also knows as a “scuffle hoe” or “action hoe.” It’s easy to use and easy on the back and hands – no gloves required! You just stand where you like and run the blade of the hoe around your garden. It knocks down any weeds or undesirables that get in its way. If it’s a hot day, you can leave the uprooted weeds to dry up in the sun before you pick them up and put them in the garbage or compost. If it’s not too hot out, I suggest picking up the weeds before they put their roots back down and stand up again! If you keep the hoe’s blade sharp, there should be very little resistance as you run it through the top layer of soil. Doing this every other day will keep your garden weed-free with only minutes of work! I like to call it “vacuuming my garden” because the action is very similar to vacuuming a carpet.
You can get your own Dutch hoe at a garden supply store or online at Amazon. They have them available for under $20 this summer!
