Garden Aids That Take the Irk out of Yard Work

Getting your lawn in shape after the spring thaw can mean many uncomfortable hours of lifting, bending, stretching and sweating. These tools cut down on all that back-breaking labor, leaving you more time to relax and smell the roses.

Grass Seed Imagine mowing only once a month and rarely having to water. Pearl’s blend of Dakota fescue, perennial rye and Kentucky bluegrass grows deeply (to capture more nutrients) and slowly (to extend time between mows).
Pearl’s Premium Grass Seed (Sunny) $36 (five pounds); Pearl’s Premium

Multitool Fiskars’s scissors come fully equipped for small garden jobs, such as clipping flowers or quick hedge-trimming touch-ups. The snippers have a removable titanium-coated blade, a notch to snip twine and a serrated edge to chew through thicker brush.
Fiskars Cuts+More scissors $20; Fiskars

Pruning Saw With extra-sharp and deep teeth, this mini reciprocating saw cuts through branches of up to three inches thick. The trick to its clean, one-handed cuts is a retractable, spring-loaded arm that pushes stems into the blade.
Black & Decker PSL12 Piranha Pruning Saw $80; Black and Decker

Hedge Trimmer An extendable 5.5-foot shaft, a head that rotates 135 degrees, and 12 volts of power give Craftsman’s hedge trimmer an edge when pruning hard-to-reach areas, such as the tops of tall shrubs and other inaccessible spots.
Craftsman NEXTEC Articulating and Rotational Hedge Trimmer $100; Craftsman

Lawn Mower Unlike typical electric mowers, this Worx doesn’t flinch when it hits weeds or overgrown grass. The battery-powered mower can crank up the torque, increasing the relative strength of its spinning blades, so it won’t get stuck in the rough.
WorxECO Pacesetter Mower WG 789 $780; Worx