In all honesty, it depends on how large your garden is, the scope of the garden and how much work you're willing to put into it. At the absolute minimum there are a few essential tools you will need in order to garden effectively. The first is a trowel. A trowel is a small, handheld shovel that you can use to dig up weeds or holes to plant new plants. You will also need a hoe, or some kind of device to stir up the soil in order to reintroduce nutrients and oxygen to the depths of the soil. The last piece of equipment is a pair of clippers to trim and shape your larger bushes.

Maintaining a beautiful garden of any size and scope can require a great deal of time, patients, vision and the right tools for the job. Probably the most important piece of equipment you will need is a device that will allow you to remove weeds completely. Weeding requires more than just pulling the surface of the plant up, you need to remove the roots. So a prod, trowel or metal rake will have to be used to do the job effectively. Removing weeds will allow your other plants to receive the nutrients they need from the soil and won't compete with the weeds. Beyond this you will also need a means to water your garden in a gentle manner. To do this you can get a variable spray nozzle for any typical garden hose.