The Harvesting History Heirloom Weeding Finger

During the Victorian Era (1837-1901) specialized gardening tools rose in popularity largely because of the British. The Brits, for generations, had been avid gardeners with gardens that ranged in size from estates with hundreds of acres to traditional city backyards. The weeding finger was one such tool. With miles of brick and/or stone pathways, the weeding finger became an essential part of the gardener’s tool chest.

The Americans, a much more vulgar, but direct speaking group, called the elegantly named weeding finger a ‘crack weeder’ and to this day, in many US catalogs the tool is named Crack Weeder.

The tool is ideal for weeding in crevices, stone walls, brick paths and along borders. It can also be used in container gardening for removing stubborn weeds that have imbedded themselves between closely organized plants. It is specifically designed to scrape up weeds growing in deep and narrow spaces. No tool does it better.

Though it will never be used as much as your standard trowel or pruning shears, the Weeding Finger is an invaluable asset for the personal gardener. Our Weeding Finger is manufactured by Burgon & Ball, perhaps the oldest hand tool manufacturer in the world and endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, perhaps the ultimate accolade in the gardening world.

A quote from William Bryant Logan whose comprehensive book, The Tool Book, is a major resource for gardeners states the importance of this tool most eloquently:

“All weeders multiply the native capabilities of the human hand.”

And, my friends, that is exactly what the weeding finger does. Imagine possessing a finger with the strength and durability of stainless steel.