Having enjoyed the company of gardening whether in planting vegetables or flowers, or just listening to the birds chattering to each other, I never realized that I had ‘other’ helpers, each with their own names.

My son’s girlfriend gifted me with a garden helper — a cloth bag with tools to keep me company throughout the growing season. Along with information and tips on keeping them “young and strong’, these tools came with their own names. I’ve become up close and personal with them. Each has helped me in fantastic ways.

A favorite is Bob, the Trowel guy, a multi-tasker that helps with transplanting as well as planting seeds, bulbs, and potting flowers. Trowels also break up the soil after our winter weather has gone, usually mid-May for our 6A zone.

Pesky weeds, always uninvited, will soon disappear with Greg, the Weeder. With his narrow-forked tongue, he makes short work of those garden crashers that spoil any garden party. The worse of the weeds is the thistle that sneaks quietly under my fence when I’m not looking.

These rhizomes, or underground roots, can travel far, even if you are using black paper covering the soil. I have seen these persistent weeds push through the black paper, tearing it and poking their heads up. Greg and I are determined, but so is thistle, keeping us busy all summer.

The transplanter, Maggie, is a helpful tool for carefully moving a valued plant to another place where it will thrive. Helpfully marked with inches to measure depth, Maggie is a more delicate tool for avoiding root damage during transplantation.

When it comes to breaking up soil or spring cleanup in your garden, Mike, the Cultivator is the expert. A straight three-pronged fork, he’s good at aerating soil, digging deeply and mixing the nutrients that help our flowers and vegetables develop. Additionally, this provides our beneficial insects needed pollen and nectar.

A small hand-held rake used for narrow spaces between plants is valuable. Anne is just the tool to loosen soil, remove bothersome weeds and clear debris. With three prongs bent at 90 degrees, she helps to keep the garden soil aerated and looking its best.

Finally, Tom the Pruner is indispensable for both easy and difficult tasks such as trimming branches for maintaining their health and beauty. Using the correct tool and knowing how to trim are essential and can be found through the Ohio State University Extension website.

Also in the bag were handy gardening gloves and a spray bottle. Each tool has an ergonomic soft grip handle, comfortable for ‘mature’ hands. Each tool came with its own name, as I do not name my tools. As I walk out to my garden with my bag in hand, I realize this was the perfect gardeners’ gift, used often in all three seasons. Thank you, Jenny.

To learn about some favorite Master Gardener Volunteer tools, go to http://go.osu.edu/favoritetools

Kane Shipka is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.