Gardener's Kit

Gardener's Kit Gardener's Kit, speciality tools for keen gardeners! With two retail locations, Victoria & Vancouver

10/06/2026

Need a heavy-duty digging spade your crew can’t break?

This spade was introduced to me by a colleague in Vancouver many moons ago, and has been one of my company’s secret weapons for planting and transplanting mature plant material for almost 20 years.

These spades are rough, tough, amazing digging tools that will cut through anything and can be used to lever huge, weighty mature plants out of the ground. My brother the carpenter loves it for trenching and digging post-holes in hard ground.

I would hazard to say that they are virtually unbreakable. Our original is still going strong after being used by many young, strong crew members over the years, some of whom were very good at breaking shovels and spades in their enthusiasm for digging.

Needless to say, beware irrigation and gas lines! In fact, the fellow who first demonstrated it to me hit the gas line in his garden. Yes, there were firetrucks and quite a bit of fuss.

Made of aircraft-quality steel, it is super strong, rust resistant, and comes with a five-year manufacturer’s guarantee against breakage under normal use.

The long tapered 15” cutting edge resists dents and nicks from hard digging conditions.

Large rubber foot pad can be bolted to either side of the blade step for digging comfort

10/03/2026

These lightweight Kuroco secateurs created by Takashi Yoshioka of Yoshioka Hamono are one of the new additions to our collection of Japanese pruning tools.

At first glance, they stand out for their striking appearance: the matte black body is paired with non-slip, criss-cross rubber grips. The blades are made from premium blue paper steel, which delivers exceptional sharpness and long-lasting performance.

The ergonomics of the tool design are excellent and sophisticated with a black non-slip grip and the way they’re weighted and balanced for maximum user comfort. The handle design prevents pinching, even when you grip closer to the blades.

Designed for use by horticultural professionals who demand long-lasting performance and the very best quality. Yoshioka Hamono has been producing some of the world’s finest blades since 1946.

10/01/2026

One box. A whole lot of garden kit.

The TOYO Large Cantilevered Toolbox is big enough to keep the essentials together: secateurs, snips, hori hori and other hand tools, plus all the cleaning, sharpening and maintenance gear that usually ends up scattered around the shed.

Load it up, close it down, and take it wherever the work is.

Made in Japan since 1969, Toyo toolboxes are as practical as they are good-looking. Constructed from a single piece of pressed steel, their seamless design makes them remarkably strong, durable and satisfying to use. Originally designed for professional tradespeople, these iconic Japanese toolboxes are equally at home storing garden tools, workshop essentials, art supplies or whatever bits and pieces tend to follow you around. Simple, functional and built to last, Toyo has turned the humble toolbox into something worth keeping on display.

We carry a variety of TOYO shapes and sizes, with more colours arriving over the next few weeks.

Tools for gardeners, tools for life. 🌱

10/01/2026

NEW ARRIVAL FROM TOBISHO

The Japanese name for this tool is hakaribasami, which means leaf-cutting scissors. Designed for one-handed use, the long blades and spring action make it a brilliant tool for trimming soft green growth while keeping your other hand free to guide and shape the plant. The long, narrow blades are particularly useful for precision work, finessing topiary and getting into awkward angles and tight spaces.

This version comes with a built-in hand protector, giving your hand and fingers some extra protection when you’re working amongst dense foliage, hedges or prickly plants. The deliberate locking mechanism at the bottom of the handles is easy to operate, even while wearing gloves, and won’t accidentally engage while you’re working.

As with all hakaribasami, these are for soft, fresh growth only. Don’t be tempted to cut old, woody stems, wire or anything else that puts excessive strain on the blades. The steel is beautifully sharp and easy to sharpen, but it is deliberately hard and can be brittle if the tool is misused. Treat them as precision cutting tools rather than something to hack your way through the garden with.

Tobisho pruning tools are the crème de la crème in the Japanese gardening world. Made in a small, family-run factory in Yamagata, an area famous for the quality of its steel, every tool is drop forged with incredible attention to detail. They have wonderful weight and balance and are an absolute pleasure to use.

09/26/2026

The Tobisho Hiryu is a beautifully balanced pair of Japanese secateurs, hand-forged in Yamagata from high-quality carbon steel. The distinctive Hiryu blade design has no traditional blade-to-blade contact, reducing friction and giving an exceptionally smooth cutting action. They also differs from conventional secateurs with its thinner blade, slightly hollow-ground on the inside, and a small gap between the blade and bypass. There’s also some clever engineering hidden in the self-tightening bolt: a small reservoir of grease inside the system provides ongoing lubrication as the secateurs are used. Finished with a traditional leather catch and now made from Yasuki YCS-3 steel, the Hiryu is a distinctive, beautifully made Japanese secateur designed for serious, repetitive pruning.

With a narrow, precise blade and excellent control, they are particularly well suited to detailed pruning work, including fruit trees, where clean cuts through smaller, harder branches are important. The reduced resistance also makes them a pleasure to use when there are a lot of cuts to make.

Light in the hand, exceptionally sharp and beautifully made, the Hiryu has the distinctive feel and craftsmanship Tobisho is known for.

09/24/2026

Small, single-handed topiary clippers are all about precision. Compact, sharp blades and a spring-loaded action make them ideal for detailed trimming, shaping and maintaining topiary, where control and accuracy matter more than covering large areas quickly.

Designed to be used with one hand (or both in the case of the Mini Shears), they leave your other hand free to move foliage, guide branches or help shape the plant as you work. The smaller blades are particularly useful for getting into tight spaces and making small, deliberate cuts to keep shapes crisp and tidy.

Niwami Mini Shears

The little ones. Compact, light and easy on the wrist, these are made for small-scale topiary, tight curves and finishing work. A great choice when you want precision without the size of a full-length topiary shear, great for aging hands!

Niwaki Sentei Clippers

A classic one-handed topiary clipper with long, slender blades and smooth spring action. Excellent for box clipping and detailed shaping, with plenty of control for getting into tight spaces and working on small areas. Made in Sanjo, Japan, from S58C carbon steel.

Tobisho Topiary Clipper

A beautifully made Japanese hakaribasami, which means “leaf cutting scissors”, and designed for precision topiary work. The long blades and spring action make them particularly good for finessing shapes, tight curves and awkward angles. Made by Tobisho in their small family-run factory in Yamagata.

Tobisho Topiary Clipper with hand guard - NEW!!

A new arrival for us! The same precise Tobisho topiary clipper, with the added protection of a hand guard. A useful choice when you’re working closely among dense foliage and want a little extra protection while keeping the control and feel of a traditional one-handed clipper.

09/22/2026

BACK IN STOCK, the barracuda snips 🌱

The Tobisho Barracuda Snips or “thinning snips” are the perfect hybrid tool between a snip and secateur. They allow for delicate snip work like dead-heading or cut flowers, small enough yo fit into tight areas, while still being a bypass clipper and able to handle a woodier cut.

Tobisho pruning tools are the crème de la crème in the Japanese gardening world. Made in a small, family-run factory in Yamagata, an area famous for the quality of its steel, every tool is drop forged with incredible attention to detail. They have wonderful weight and balance and are an absolute pleasure to use.

Address

169 Langford Street
Victoria, BC
V9A3B8

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 5pm
Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

+12505984909

Website

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