The Harvesting History Garden Handrake

Man moved from independent forager and meandering hunter to civilized communities with the development of agriculture, and agriculture evolved into existence when mankind began to invent and manufacture tools to accomplish agricultural tasks.

Gardening tools basically perform 9 functions within and around the garden environment: digging, cultivating, propagating, planting, cutting, watering, composting, holding and hauling and raking and sweeping.

Digging tools have been traced as far back as 1100 BC when the Chinese created and used a bronze spade. The Romans are responsible for proliferating soil digging tools throughout Western culture. When the Roman Empire went into decline, the technology of the forge nearly disappeared and with it many tools. It took nearly 500 years before garden tools reemerged. Cultivating tools, those that allowed for the turning of the soil and weeding, were also developed during the Roman Empire and proliferated in Europe during the Middle Ages. Propagating knowledge is as old as civilization itself. Propagating tools, like cold frames and cloches (bell-shaped glasses meant to protect seedlings from frost) were recognized by the earliest Native Americans and the Medieval Europeans and may trace it roots as far back as Noah.

Planting tools like dibbers, trowels and bulb planters were used during the Roman times. Cutting tools are believed to have originated around 6000 BC and were first used to trim grapevines. Watering and composting began with the advent of agriculture and perhaps the best example of long term systematic watering was the annual flooding of the Nile Basin in Egypt. The very first water carrying tools were gourds used by prehistoric peoples. Holding and hauling for agricultural purposes began very early with baskets being used before 4000 BC and wheelbarrows being developed in China in 200 AD. Raking and sweeping tools have been part of gardening culture for at least 500 years in Western culture.