What a great set! The Great Dixter short-handled spade and its companion, the Great Dixter short fork have become part of the basic tool kit that my crew takes everywhere.
I first used these tools while on a work practicum at Great Dixter, and they were one of my first introductions to the Sneeboer line. The gardeners at Dixter use them all the time and for good reason - it is the perfect tool for getting into their densely planted borders to interplant bulbs, annuals and perennials. Which they do often.
Spade
This short-handled spade makes digging on hands and knees so much faster and more efficient than using a hori hori or a hand trowel because you can use both hands to dig. And you don’t get the same wrist fatigue. It's particularly brilliant for bulb planting in a border.
The other benefit is that you don’t have to go up and down like you do when using a full length spade so, again, it speeds you up. You have greater control and precision than you would using a full length spade on your knees and you’re much less likely to damage surrounding plant material with this short handle.
Fork
All the same benefits of using the short-handled spade apply to using the fork. We use the fork for loosening the soil to weed, lifting and dividing perennials and bulbs, and working in soil amendments. It is also be an excellent tool to use in veggie beds for weeding and harvesting root vegetables.
The stainless steel tines of the Sneeboer fork are strong enough to dig and cultivate soils of all types and conditions. It is important to choose a fork that is strongly made because the tines of poorly-made forks can bend with use, especially if you have heavy clay or compacted soils.
One caveat: don't use either tool as a prying tool, the wood handle could snap under pressure or in heavy, clay soils.
Product Details
- hand-forged stainless steel
- material of handle: ash wood, FSC-certified
- width of head: 5" (12.7cm)
- length of head: 5.5" (14cm)
- length of handle: 16.5" (42cm)
- total length: 22" (56cm)
- weight: 1.3lbs (0.6kg)
Great Dixter Collection: The tools in the Great Dixter Collection have been designed by the Lloyd family and gardeners at Great Dixter. Sneeboer donates a portion of revenues from the sale of every Great Dixter tool back to Great Dixter - to maintain an important piece of English heritage.
The Sneeboer family has been making garden tools for over 100 years. Sneeboer tools are beautifully designed and built for maximum strength and utility - the heads are hand-forged from one piece of stainless steel and they are fitted with ash handles from FSC-certified forests.