No sweat gardening tools

The Mecca for gardeners
Every gardener loves the grass roots company Gardener's Supply.

This Vermont store was founded in 1983 by a handful of enthusiastic gardeners and offers plenty of advice from beginners to hard core veterans. It also sells plenty of time-saving tools designed to take the strain out of gardening:

Garden Hand: Even the best soil has the occasional rock. Remove stones from your garden without having to get down on your hands and knees using the Garden Hand. The seven hardened-steel tines cut through soil to grab stones as big as 11.4 cm (4.5 inches) big. It also does double duty as a tiller.

Trim without fatigue: Conventional shear and clippers can be hard on the hands. The Rechargeable Clip & Shear has interchangeable stainless steel blades: 15 cm (6")or 10 cm (4"). You push a button and go for 45 minutes on a full charge. The optional extension handle means you can trim without bending.

Get reel with your lawn: Gasoline mowers are bad for the environment as well as being noisy and smelly. Switch to something less nerve racking with a Manual Reel Mower. Its self-sharpening steel blades cut clean while the large wheels, foam covered handles and easy height adjustments make the machine a breeze to use. Cut your grass and your calories so both you and the lawn get healthy.

NRG for no sweat
Radius garden tools got our vote for the smoothest tools. Using something called the Natural Radius Grip (NRG), these tools lessen tension in the hands and wrists. Handles are made with a non-latex thermoplastic blades and the body with ultra lightweight aluminium/magnesium alloy. The bright colours ensure they will never get lost in the garden. The trowel, bulb trowel, weeder and cultivator are available in garden centres thoughout Canada and the USA.

Take it easy
Don and Sheila Swartz started their website, Life with Ease, to sell products that can help prevent injuries. Their Expandable Rake has a rake head that extends from 17 cm (7") to 53cm (14") with a telescoping handle that adjusts from 88 cm (35") to 1.75 metres (69"). This means you can rake your lawn and under your shrubs at the same time without having to kneel or bend. Heat treated aluminium makes the rake lightweight and easy on the back.

Home Depot help
The Garden Rocker, sold by Home Depot, reduces strain on your lower back and knees. Ergonomically designed, the curved base with a contoured seat provides a full range of motion so you can get to those plants comfortably without any twisting or straining.

Home Depot also stocks the Bionic Gardening Gloves. These high tech gloves, designed by an orthopaedic surgeon, improve grip strength and natural dexterity while reducing hand fatigue. Extra padding along the palm and special "motion zones" over the knuckles cushion the hands against tool handles and prevent blisters. Closures at the wrist provide even more support. Perfect for anyone with arthritic or weak hands.

Shelagh McNally is the editor of green living online.