At the start of the season, which can be as early as January and February, keen gardeners are already looking to start sowing seeds indoors or in their greenhouses ready for them to be moved outdoors for hardening off later on in the year.

To start this process there are a number of essential tools that will be required such as:

1) Heated Propagator – This is an ideal piece of gardening equipment in which to start your newly planted seeds. The heated propagator consists of a tray and cover with vents; the tray heats the soil from below, and the cover helps to retain the warmth. This provides the perfect growing environment for your seeds before you look to move them outdoors. The small heated propagator is 8w and the large heated propagator is 18w; they are cheap to run at approximately 1/3 of the cost of a 60w light bulb. This should give you a head start to the growing season and also give you peace of mind that your seeds will not be damaged by frost or pests.

2) Planting Pots – This type of pot is ideal when your seedlings have begun to grow; they are 9cm and have their own watering trays and capillary matting. Planting pots are perfect for growing on seedlings prior to outdoor planting, and although your seedlings should still be kept in the greenhouse or indoors during the night, they may be moved outside during the day. This is to ensure that they harden off ready for planting, which would usually be between April and June depending upon the plants you are growing.

3) Potting Bench – This is a priceless piece of equipment if you have a number of seedlings to pot as it can take the strain off your back and make potting a much more enjoyable experience. Made from treated timber to reduce decomposition, it is easy to move and can be brought inside in the winter months. The top shelf is used for potting and the bottom shelf is used for storage, a must for any keen gardener.

4) Collapsible Water Butt – Ideal during hose pipe bans, these butts collect rain water which can then be used for garden watering. With a 100ltr capacity and a standard Hozelock connection, you can attach your hosepipe or simply fill a watering can. No tools are required to assemble the water butt, and it is comes in an attractive green which will compliment your garden.

5) Adapta Tunnels – These growing tunnels provide protection to your young plants when they are first moved and planted out in the garden; the first Adapta Tunnel that you purchase comes with separate hoops and polythene tunnel which will protect your young plants from any morning frosts and cold weather spells. As the year moves on you could choose to purchase different covers such as the fleece cover which is perfect for spring time and helps to keep the heat in the tunnel, or the shading net cover which will protect your plants from the harsh summer sun. The shading net is also ideal for protection from insects and greenfly, ensuring the production healthy, protected plants.

This is just a small selection of useful gardening equipment which aims to help you to easily grow the plants that you want for your garden. There is bound to be something in this list that catches your attention and inspires you to get started with this year’s planting, and hopefully makes your growing season much more successful than in previous years.

Mark Cropper works for Swell UK. Swell UK.com is a leading online retailer of aquatic, pond and garden supplies and stock items such as pond liners and water features.