Last growing season was a bit of a new gardening challenge for me. It was the first time I’d lived so far from my community garden plot. Nearly 2 miles! I couldn’t just walk over to the garden shed or run a block back to my apartment. No, living that distance meant I had to plan and be prepared for my gardening tasks with my garden tool bag.

Most days during the summer I visited the garden on bicycle while doing other errands. I’d stop to do simple tasks such as weeding and watering. I kept a ratty pair of garden gloves and an old, rusty trowel in a milk crate in the garden plot for the little unplanned garden work I had to do. It worked well, and since these items weren’t of value, they didn’t sprout legs and walk off on their own (something that does happen in a community setting, I’m afraid to say).

For the days of real garden work—spring planting, tomato staking, seedling thinning, and so on—I would need more and better equipment. I prepared a garden tool bag that I could keep in the back of my car. With a bit of an adjustment, I also could strap it onto my back while biking.

What to Pack in Your Garden Tool Bag

Before the spring garden gets fully underway, prep a garden tool bag with some or all of the following:

Sunscreen. First on the list, because protecting yourself from the sun is the most vital part of spending time in the garden.

Garden gloves. Two pairs! You never know when you’ll need a second pair, and it’s nice to offer a pair to someone who might be assisting you.

Hand pruners. I bought myself a nice and pricey pair of hand pruners last summer. I don’t let them out of my sight, and I never leave them in the garden for convenience.

Blank labels for marking rows. I use either plant sticks meant for gardening or I pick up a packet of shims from the home improvement store.

A pencil and marker. For use on the blank labels.

Twine, twist ties, and/or thin lengths of fabric. For use as supports for vining or crawling veggies and flowers.

Old kitchen towel. To clean and dry hands.

Extra packets of seeds. For when you see a bare spot open up just the right spot for a small patch of lettuce or beets.

A pocket knife and/or bonsai sheers. These let you do finer work than hand pruners.

Assorted hand tools. A small rake, different weeder tools, that sort of thing.

A pencil case or waterproof bag. To keep small things in, such as those pens and pencils, seed packets, and paper.

A measuring tape or ruler. Although it is always good to know that a dollar bill is 6 inches long.

Packable, recyclable bags. To cart home your harvest.

The above keeps me pretty well supplied for my heavy gardening days. Now if only the ground would thaw.