A tool as ancient ant multi-purposed as the hoe is clearly one that is useful and versatile and for owners of larger gardens is a must have. Whilst the hoe is perhaps more typically found on farms than in gardens, it nevertheless remains a very common tool that gardeners seek to purchase when starting any development project. In gardening it’s very common to use a hoe to break up hardened top soil as the blade can be used like an ax and swung into the soil before dragging the soil to break it up.

The hoe can achieve this due to its simple and innovative design. The typical hoe has a long wooden shaft designed for two handed use with a broad blade at the end set at a right angle to the shaft. This makes it particularly easy to remove weeds or prepare soil for crop or flower planting without having to bend down and be on your knees to tend to the soil. Farmers would typically use the hoe in a similar fashion to gardeners when preparing the soil but if you happen to have a garden where you are growing your own food then the hoe can also be used as a harvesting tool for easy collecting of root vegetables such as potatoes.

Although the exact origins of the hoe are unknown and in all likelihood predate written history, some of the earliest records of hoes date back to ancient Sumeria with the design and creation of the hoe even being attributed to one of their gods. Whoever created the hoe it has remained a popular tool throughout almost all of human history and hoe blades have been found dating back as far as 2000 years ago to the Roman empire. The hoe makes a great addition to any gardener’s tool kit.