If for any reason you do not have a garden trowel in your garden shed and you wish to use an alternative, the best options are the following:
Potting scoops
A potting scoop has a wide deep blade which is used for scooping compost out of the bag and into pots and hanging baskets. The deep blade allows it to hold more soil than a garden trowel. However, it does not have a sharpened blade so it cannot be used for digging.
Hand forks
A hand fork is primarily used for weeding and cultivating soil. However, it does not have a wide section for scooping soil, as it only has three forked tines.
Hori hori knives
A hori hori knife is also known as a soil or weeding knife, and is the Japanese equivalent of a garden trowel. It has a serrated blade for cutting roots, and a wider blade than other garden knives for digging soil. However, it does not have curved sides so the blade will not be able to carry soil from one place to another.
Trakes
A trake is a combination tool with a garden rake at one end and a trowel at the other. The trowel end is for planting flowers and bulbs, whilst the rake cultivates the soil. This tool is perfect for those who wish to save money and only purchase one tool, instead of two.
