The cheapest way to kit out a garden is to go cheap on the things you use lightly and spend a bit more on the few tools that take your weight. At Malcolm's Hardware in Cross Roads, the garden and building department carries garden tools and supplies. Call ahead with your list before you travel from Papine to check what's on the shelf, and a call-ahead order can be ready when you get there. Shelf prices change, so ask for today's price on the call rather than going by an old one.
Key Takeaways
- Cheap rakes, trowels, hose nozzles and gloves are usually fine for a small Papine yard.
- Shovels, digging forks and wheelbarrows are worth paying a little more for, because the handle and blade take the most strain.
- Coiling a cheap hose and keeping it out of the sun after use makes it last much longer.
- Landlords with student lets around UWI Mona can keep one small set of yard tools for every tenant changeover.
- Malcolm's Hardware is open Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, closed Sundays and public holidays.
Which garden supplies are fine to buy cheap?
Most of them. The tools that need money spent on them are the ones you dig, lever or load with.
Think about how often you'll use each thing and how hard. A trowel for a few pots on a Papine verandah does very little work. A shovel used to dig out a bed, or a wheelbarrow carrying soil up a sloping yard, does a lot.
| Item | Cheap is fine when | Spend more when |
|---|---|---|
| Hand trowel | You're potting plants or weeding a small bed | You're digging into hard, stony ground often |
| Rake | You're gathering leaves and cuttings | You're levelling soil or gravel |
| Garden hose | You coil it and store it out of the sun | It stays out on the lawn all week |
| Hose nozzle | You water a small yard by hand | You want it to last years of daily use |
| Gloves | You're weeding or picking up cuttings | You're handling thorny bushes or rough blocks |
| Shovel or digging fork | You dig once in a while in soft soil | You dig beds, holes or heavy clay |
| Wheelbarrow | You move light loads on flat ground | You carry soil, sand or blocks, or the yard slopes |
What makes one garden tool cost more than another?
Mostly the metal, the handle and how the two are joined. That's also where a cheap tool fails.
Pick the tool up in the shop before you pay. Check how the head sits on the handle: a loose or wobbly joint on a new shovel won't get better in the ground. Press on the blade or the tines; thin metal that bends under your hand will bend in hard soil. On a wheelbarrow, look at the tyre and the legs, since those are what take the knocks.
A size up is not always worth the money either. A big wheelbarrow full of wet soil is heavy to push, so for one person on a sloping yard a smaller one you can actually steer is the better buy.
What does the yard of a let house in Papine need?
Five things cover most of it: something to cut with, something to gather with, something to water with, gloves, and bags for the cuttings.
If you let rooms or a flat to students at UWI Mona, the yard work comes round with the tenants. When one lot moves out and the next moves in, the yard gets cut back and tidied along with the rest of the unit. Our page on hardware for Mona and Papine has more on the area.
- Cutlass or machete, for grass and overgrowth along the fence line.
- Rake and hard broom, for the yard and the paths.
- Hose with a nozzle, coiled on a hook out of the sun.
- Work gloves.
- Heavy-duty bags for the cuttings.
Keep the set together in a locked store or cupboard. Tools that stay with the property are cheaper than buying a new rake every August because the last one went missing.
How do I make cheap tools last?
Clean them, dry them and keep them out of the weather. Cheap tools usually die from being left outside, not from work.
- Knock the soil off a shovel or fork after use and let it dry before you put it away.
- Hang tools up rather than standing them in a wet corner.
- Coil the hose and keep it in the shade.
- Stand the wheelbarrow on its end or under cover so rain doesn't sit in the tray.
If you're weighing up which tools are worth owning at all, our post on tools that save homeowners time goes through the ones that earn their place.
How do I shop for it from Papine?
Write the list, call the store first and collect. Saturday morning works for most people who are at work in the week.
Malcolm's Hardware is at 44-46 Slipe Road in Cross Roads. It's open Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and closed Sundays and public holidays. Call (876) 926-3611 with your list before you leave Papine, so you know what's on the shelf, and a call-ahead order can be put together for you to pick up.
If the garden job turns into a bigger one, like a new bed edged with blocks or a load of cement for a path, Malcolm's delivers cement, blocks and bulk orders across Kingston and St. Andrew, quoted by order size and location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find cheap gardening supplies in Papine?
Go cheap on hand tools you use now and then, and spend a little more on the tools you push or pull hard, like a shovel, a fork or a wheelbarrow. Malcolm's Hardware on Slipe Road in Cross Roads has a garden and building department with garden tools and supplies. Call (876) 926-3611 to check what's on the shelf before you travel.
Is a cheap garden hose worth buying?
For a small yard, yes, if you coil it and keep it out of the sun when you're done. A cheap hose left lying in the sun on the lawn tends to crack and kink sooner, so the saving goes if you have to buy another one next year.
Which garden tool should I not buy cheap?
Anything you lean your weight on. A shovel, a digging fork or a wheelbarrow takes the most strain, and a weak handle or a thin blade is where a cheap one gives out first.
What does a landlord need to keep the yard of a let house tidy?
Five things cover most of it: cutlass or machete, rake and hard broom, hose with a nozzle, work gloves, and heavy-duty bags for cuttings. Keep the set in a locked spot so it's there for the next tenant changeover.
Who sells garden tools near Papine?
Malcolm's Hardware, a family-owned hardware store open since 1931 at 44-46 Slipe Road, Cross Roads, has a garden and building department. Call (876) 926-3611 before you travel to check what's on the shelf, and a call-ahead order can be ready to collect.
Get your garden basics at Malcolm's Hardware
Our garden and building department carries garden tools and supplies. Call (876) 926-3611 before you travel from Papine to check what's on the shelf, and collect at 44-46 Slipe Road, Cross Roads.
See the garden and building department