Gardener's Kit

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

06/09/2026

ENGLAND May 2026
I was in England for the last two weeks of May and I’ll try to post a new bit of my adventures every day for the next few weeks.
First up, RHS Wisley, which I love to visit, primarily for the trial gardens (a post on what’s happening there is coming up soon). Much my surprise and delight, I discovered that since my last visit a few years ago they’ve built a swanky new horticultural science centre called RHS Hilltop. It’s a beautiful building surrounded by three new gardens designed by RHS Chelsea medal winners. This lovely, inspiring spot is the Wildlife Garden designed by Ann Marie Powell. As well all sorts of wildlife-friendly habitat, it features an extensive acquatic planting scheme and two gorgeous (and huge) chestnut and willow sculptures (one is an insect hotel and the other a bird hide). Pretty impressive!
Stay tuned for my next installment tomorrow.
📸

Takemoto sickles are versatile garden tools prized for their razor-sharp blades and precise cutting ability. Ideal for w...
06/05/2026

Takemoto sickles are versatile garden tools prized for their razor-sharp blades and precise cutting ability. Ideal for weeding, harvesting vegetables and herbs, trimming grasses, and cutting back perennials, they allow gardeners to work efficiently while minimizing damage to surrounding plants. Lightweight and easy to maneuver, these traditional Japanese sickles are equally suited to delicate garden maintenance and tougher tasks such as managing cover crops and dense weeds, making them an indispensable tool for both home gardeners and professional growers.

Takemoto Sickle Mfg. – Preserving a Century of Japanese Blade Craftsmanship

Takemoto Sickle Mfg. is a fourth-generation family workshop in Japan’s historic Banshu region of Hyogo Prefecture, an area renowned for producing some of the country’s finest sickles and agricultural blades. The company’s roots trace back more than 100 years to the early development of Banshu “razor sickles,” which became famous throughout Japan for their exceptional sharpness and cutting performance.

The origins of the workshop go back to Kikumatsu, a blacksmith who forged sickles alongside his brothers during the late Meiji era. Although production was interrupted by the hardships of wartime Japan, later generations revived the craft and continued refining the techniques that had made Banshu blades so respected. Today, Takemoto Sickle Mfg. carries forward that legacy under the Kikumatsu name.

While modern manufacturing has transformed much of the tool industry, Takemoto remains committed to traditional craftsmanship. Each blade is carefully hand-finished to achieve the keen edge, durability, and ease of use that professional gardeners, farmers, and horticultural enthusiasts value. Their product range spans from practical everyday sickles to premium handcrafted models designed for specialized harvesting and garden work.

05/28/2026

special tools from a special place!
all made specially for great dixter by and available in canada from
christopher lloyd trowel
short planting spade
short fork
standing bulb planter
tickling fork

05/20/2026

FIELD TRIP to Rousham

New Saturday Hours… now OPEN 10 - 2Weekdays 12-5Saturdays 10-2* closed the Saturday of long weekends Our Vic West Showro...
05/20/2026

New Saturday Hours… now OPEN 10 - 2

Weekdays 12-5
Saturdays 10-2
* closed the Saturday of long weekends

Our Vic West Showroom is always changing and growing, did you know we have expanded!? Making more room for even more great garden tools…Wheelbarrows, ladders, potting soil and so much more! 🪜🌿🌺

We are stocked with all kinds of great tools from near & far, including but not limited to:

Niwaki .hq
Sneeboer
Hasegawa
Okatsune
Silky
ARS
Redecker .redecker
Nutscene
Cinnabar Valley Farms
Organic Gardener’s Pantry
Takemoto Sickle

And so many more!

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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