Hand Rake: For picking up piles of leaves and garden trash and gently removing debris from under and around plants without damaging roots or crowns. Choose one in bright colors to help you keep it in sight as you work. Smith & Hawken, (shown, top left) $12, www.smithandhawkin.com.

Water Breaker: For gently irrigating new plantings or soaking established ones. Dramm Handi-Wand, (shown, bottom left) $12, www.gardengift.com.

Japanese Gardener's Knife (or Hori-Hori): This favorite of many professionals does five jobs well. Use it instead of a trowel for digging, planting bulbs, and weeding. The saw blade cuts roots and divides small perennials. The pointed end is a crevice tool. Lee Valley Tools, (shown, second from left) $18, www.leevalley.com.

Shears: For trimming grass around tree trunks and shrubs, edging beds and paths, and cutting back ornamental grasses and clumps of perennials. Fiskars Softtouch Shears, (shown, third from left) $16, www.amazon.com.

Scissors: For deadheading (removing dead flowers); cutting soft-stemmed plants, such as herbs; pruning small or delicate plants; snipping twine; and thinning perennials. The Fiskars Multi-Snip Snip (shown, third from right; $15, www.amazon.com) has a spring action for ease of use.

Hand Pruner: For cutting branches less than 3/4 inch thick, cutting back clumps of perennials, cutting larger flowers, and scoring and slicing root balls before planting. The Felco No. 2 (A.M. Leonard; shown, second from right; $38, www.amleonard.com) has replaceable parts.

Hand Weeder: The thin, sharp blade removes shallow-rooted weeds; the long handle lets you reach far into beds. Smith & Hawken, (shown, far right) $15, www.smithandhawken.com.