Handy Tools For The Rose Gardening Rookie Rose Pruning Shears - You'll need this tool almost everyday and it comes in 2 varieties. A bypass pruner looks somewhat like a scissor and is more preferable to an anvil pruner because it doesn't seem to crush the tender stems of a rose. The blades of an anvil pruner meet on top and are stronger than a bypass pruner. Rose Gardening Loppers - Well, you won't need these if you are just kick-starting your rose garden. These babies are much more efficient than both the pruning shears and are required when the stems of the roses become much stronger and thicker. Don't waste your money buying these right away, just wait for a few years when your roses have become more mature. Rose Gardening Shovels - Select one with padded handles which just might save you a few bruises. Also, see if you can buy one made out of fiberglass as that tends to be more lightweight, yet it is sufficiently strong to do the down and dirty work. Wheelbarrow for Rose Gardening - Yep, quite Enid Blyton but equally essential. Avoid those cutesy girly carts' and buy a sturdy one. As your rose gardening hobby grows, you'll need a durable wheelbarrow to lug stuff in and out of the garden. Rose Gardening Gloves and Pads - And again, select industrial strength gloves because roses have prickly thorns. Kneeling pads are required to keep the pressure off your knees. You can select between waterproof pads with handles or perhaps pads with velcro straps.