A while ago I was at a Master Gardener community gardening event, helping with some weed pulling, plant clipping, and handing out tasty harvested broccoli florets to some excited grade school students.

I had my trusty clippers and scissors to harvest and separate the broccoli florets, my phone for fun photo opportunities, my gardening gloves for some prickly handling (which came on and off, depending on what I was working on) and an insulated water bottle for periodic gulps.

However, I realized that I needed both hands to be free for all of the gardening activities and needed to bring my trusty tools.  If I had been working in one area, I could have just set the tools down, but I was involved in many activities spanning the whole gardening area.

The phone was secure in one of my pockets, but hard to get to quickly for photos.  I had to leave my water bottle behind, and my gloves kept falling out of my pocket.  Since the sharp clippers could not end up in the hands of any of the students, I had to quickly stick them in any available pocket where they were sure to tear some pretty decent sized holes.

When I got home, I searched in my gardening shed for a “gardening tool belt” that I hadn't worn in a long while.  I used to wear it at our old house for gardening, but sort of forgot about it throughout the years.  I finally found it on a high shelf, cleaned it up, and wore the belt to the next gardening event.

What a difference it made in my gardening day!  I just wrapped the gardening tool belt around my waist, placed my main gardening necessities in the pockets and had a great hands-free day with all my gardening tools at the ready!

I had a few Master Gardeners ask me about my gardening tool belt that day – I couldn't remember where or when I got it – many, many years ago for sure!  So, I thought I would list and compare some of the available gardening tool belts and waist level gardening aprons to help decide on an upgrade, and maybe to also help others that may be searching for the convenience. I ended up ordering number 7 on the list below.

These gardening tool belts and aprons are so helpful with everyday gardening activities – much less chance of losing tools at home or in community gardens. Also, (gardeners can probably relate to this one) when your back is sore and you are finally in a comfortable gardening position, then realize that the tool you need is just far enough away that you have to get yourself back up again just to retrieve it.

I saw some fun denim garden tool aprons for sale at the Master Gardener Succulent Extravaganza last May and hope to see them again soon, but for now, here is a quick list of the gardening tool belts I found appealing.  There are many types currently available, so when thinking about the one that is right for you, here are a few things to consider: the width of waste band, length of belt, type of clasp, whether it is water proof, depth of pockets and whether or not you can secure the pockets so items do not fall out.

You can search online for the product name and brand to find the best deal.  The user reviews are usually very helpful too.