one of the most versatile, useful ‘tools’ i have around the homestead is a garden cart. we have three, two i bought cheaply at a discount store several years ago and one greg bought at lowe’s, not so cheaply by mistake (he thought it was cheaper than it actually was).
i have more than gotten my money’s worth out of it and i’m constantly fighting everyone else for the use of one of my own carts (greg’s sits buried in the shed under a pile of miscellaneous objects).
how NOT to use a garden cart effectively!
these carts haul like crazy. here are a few ways i’ve used them:
-haul buckets of water to the animals in the winter
-haul firewood from the wood pile to the house in the winter
-haul hay to the animals
-haul lawn clippings to the animals (while mowing the lawn we use it to dump the bag into and then haul it to the pasture to feed them)
-waste hay from the goat shed to the garden to mulch plants
-haul the frames to/from the beehives and shed
-haul mulch from the pile to the paths in the garden
-haul tools and garden equipment from the shed to the garden
-haul my market equipment (tent, tables, chairs, etc) to/from the truck
-haul feed from the truck to the barns
-haul groceries from the truck to the house
-block the walkway to keep sheep in the electric fence
-wagon rides for the kids!
the list goes on and on. i’ve even loaded it into the truck with all my wares to haul them from the truck to festival locations.
these wagons have been through a lot. the mesh is breaking, they’ve had a few cotter pin replacements, loads of flat tires (which have been replaced once i think), lost the cushy handle cover and have chipping paint but they are still going strong!
if you have any kind of gardening situation, i highly recommend one. this is the time of year they are usually available at big lots too. they really are worth the $50 or so it costs for them.
anybody else have a garden tool they find indispensable?
Not Dabbling In Normal 
Hi Tansy
I laughed when I saw this post……my cart is just about my handiest thing. I could use another one. I even use it to haul the laundry out to the line-it holds the basket up at a much nicer level.
My newest favorite item though is a cheap plastic tool tote I got last month at Menards. I load it up with my gloves, pruners, hand spade and rake, seeds, organic fertilizer, twine, scissors. I take it with me everytime I go outside….no more trips here, there, everywhere looking for stuff I need. I love it!
i have a canvas tool tote that i put into the cart along with my seed basket and water bottle to pull through the garden. 😀
I have wanted one of these for so long….Not to long ago we went to pick up some hay at a farm on the other side of town, they were using theirs to hold baby pigs for the day. They were having an open house and I guess wanted to let everyone know they were for sale… It was so cute!
I can see many great uses for one of these. I might have to move it further up my list 🙂
BTW…I like the new blog very much. That was a great idea to move all the herb “stuff” into one place, very easy to find now. Speaking of herbs have you done a post about Comfrey? If so could you point me to it and if not do you see one in the future?
Have a great day.
Karyn
I have one of these too and have been known to hook it to the back of my Bad Boy Buggy with bungee cords for hauling heavy stuff greater distances! We may look funny, but we get the job done!!
i’ve been trying to think of a way to hook a harness to it for my goats!
karyn – are you talking about herbal roots?
i have not done comfrey online yet…i’ll see if i can get a post in about it…it’s one of the first herbs i ever grew from seed.
I just bought my first garden wagon (just like yours in green!) and I do love it. I use mine just like you use yours….how did I live without it for so long???
I forgot….another one of my indispensable garden gadgets is my old hand painted mailbox. It holds all the stuff I need and forget and hate the thought of walking back up to the house for…..gloves, handtools, sharp knife, twine. I’ve stacked it on top of several cinder blocks and those come in handy too!
Hi Tansy,
Yes I was talking about Herbal Roots. I always look for your posts and when I find them I never think to check where I am…Honest I’m not stalking you, this is one of my favorite blogs too…I check it every day.
Comfrey is very interesting to me lately. I was reading about the Blocking 14 for livestock feed, actually my chickens over the winter. And thought if any one knows about it, it would be you. Or maybe some of the other writers here. How well it grows, spreads and if any value for feed. I know it makes wonderful salve. 🙂
Karyn
i just wanted to make sure since not dabbling recently moved too. 🙂 i don’t consider it stalking at all…i’m glad you are enjoying the various blogs i am part of.
i hadn’t heard of blocking 14, so i looked it up. interesting…i’ve only had my comfrey spread by roots, never by seed but i know it’s not a hybrid variety. control wise, if it’s grown in shade, it grows slower and smaller than if in full sun. i have two perfect examples of this in my gardens!
i’m not sure chickens would actually eat it though. i’ve heard of using it for forage for cattle. possibly goats and sheep would eat it but it’s not the first thing they head for when they escape into my garden. i’ll see if any of the other writers have had any experience using it.
My indispensable garden tool is my compost fork (which is really a manure fork, but is the right size for me); I paid $32. for it about 14 years ago. I thought it was expensive, but we had learned the hard way that you just can’t dig into a pile of mulch with a shovel. I use it to turn my compost piles. It is perfect for that. I also use it to load the pine straw that I rake from my neighbor’s yard. Then I use it to spread the straw over my mulched areas. Really good tools are purchases you will never regret!
I have too many favorite tools, but I absolutely LOVE the “never flat” wheelbarrow tires DH got for me! Another one of those romantic presents!
I would be so completely lost without my cart!
I don’t have a cart yet but one is definitely on the short list.
Hey , I got a garden cart Sunday for Mother’s Day ! I love it , so far I ‘ve hauled plywood , rocks for my herb bed , water to the garden and the grandkidslove to ride in it. I think you’re right Tansy , it’ll probably be the most useful tool I have , oh and I forgot the hauling of the houseplants , so many uses in just 3 days , I’m sold ……….
I cannot live without my garden apron. I made it from Kathie’s (two frog home) idea and it has huge pockets that I keep filled with all my necessary stuff. My hubby rigged me up a cart/wagon thing to an old 3 wheeler and that has become my garden ride to get things back and forth. It helps a lot!
This is what we’ve needed for quite some time, so thank you for the advert. I’ve found one in an agricultural suppliers catalogue that looks exactly the same but it’s a little dearer than your $50 but not by too much. I’m placing my order today!
Stuart & Gabrielle in Northern France, always with heavy stuff to move around.