History of Yard Tools

Many of the yard tools we use today have a long history of usefulness and availability, though some may not be in use anymore. An unusual example of yard tools found in a museum in London is a 19th century cucumber straightener. It was basically a glass tube that could be placed around a growing cucumber to ensure that it grows without curving.

Lawn care has its own history and so do the yard tools used. While our modern yard tools make cutting the grass very simple, there was once a time when most lawn mowers were pulled by horses. It required special lawn mowing shoes to be strapped to the horse's feet in order to protect the lawn. It appears this would have been easier than spending the time and hard labor to hand cut the grass with a scythe. Scythes, very old fashioned yard tools, are still available today and can be very environmental options for grass cutting. Using a scythe requires extra exertion, but when used properly it becomes much easier. Learning to use these yard tools properly takes time, but once a good rhythm is established it becomes a yard tool that provides good exercise while getting the job done.

Lawn edgers are great modern yard tools, but they also have their historical predecessors. Before the advent of string trimmers and yard tools, getting a well manicured lawn used to require the use of hand held shears. These yard tools are still available, but they're now used for smaller trimming jobs. In the past, the shears and clippers would have been used to cut the entire perimeter of the lawn. The first mechanical yard edging tools were a bit primitive, constructed of a wheel or gear, a spring and a pair of yard clippers.

Most modern gardeners who need to move lots of material in their yards will use a wheelbarrow or some type of cart. These yard tools are usually made of metal or plastic, but years ago they were made of wood and either painted or left natural. The wood in these yard tools was light enough to move around and carry heavy yard material. The design of wheelbarrows and carts has improved over the years to make them more ergonomic and easier to use. They are durable and long lasting.

Other unusual historical yard tools include walking stick saws that have a saw blade that fits into a groove in the stick. There were also walking sticks with a special grabber to be used for berry picking. Walking sticks were also combined with gathering baskets that could be used while out walking and gathering berries along the way. Apparently, yard tools disguised as walking sticks were quite popular.

These historical yard tools have led the way for many useful yard tools that are available today. Technology advances happen frequently and yard tools are keeping pace making it much easier to care for a beautiful yard with much of the hard labor of yesteryear replaced by automated machines and easy to use features. Keeping your yard looking great can be a snap with modern yard tools.

Yard Tools