Life-changing could be an excitement too far however, for its usefulness and versatility independently, each gardener deserves a Japanese tsurukubi gama, or crane-neck hand hoe, like this Niwashi version, $39.98, by Mitre 10. With its smooth wooden handle and angled blade attached by the eponymous curved neck, that attractively constructed hoe is a pleasure to wield. It can rip through weeds en masse, or delicately pluck out a single one in the tightest of spots without damaging precious saltwater plants. Difficult enough to chop through sturdy roots of perennial weeds or hack at foliage, it is also a gem at breaking up clods and compacted earth, and digging holes for seedlings.