Different types of gardens require different types of garden tools. Hardware stores typically offer a wide range of tools, but specialty shops offer more exclusive garden tools that shout quality. Wherever you decide to shop, here are a few pointers to help you choose correctly.

Is your garden large or small? A small garden obviously won't require the same type of large garden equipment you would need for a more extensive one. For instance, a riding mower is unnecessary if you only have a small strip of lawn. Who does most of the gardening? Some tools are too heavy for use by just anyone.

When you buy secateurs, also called hand pruners or pruning shears, make sure the blade always stays sharp to avoid damaging the plant. Look for models that have blades that can be sharpened or replaced, as well as models with tension control and sizes that best fit your hands.

Hedge trimmers or shears are handy - but only if you have a hedge, or plan to grow one. Some hedge trimmers have curved blades to stop branches from sliding out when cut.

Forks are used for turning and aerating compost and for breaking up lumps of soil. The cheaper ones may not be strong enough for heavy soil, so check for sturdiness.

A shovel has a scoop blade and is best used to move dirt and garden soil. A spade has a flat blade great for cutting edges, digging and dividing plants. The edge of a spade should be kept sharp for clean and efficient cutting and to cause the least amount of damage to plants. Shovels and spades are a basic garden necessity. You need at least one of each.

While secateurs are for smaller plants like roses, pruning saws are used for pruning trees and larger shrubs. They have a narrow curved blade that fits between stems or branches easily and cuts them as you pull back on the saw.

The ancient Muslim poet, jurist, and theologian, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, may not have stumbled madly upon the very first rose back in 13th century Persia but he certainly immortalized it poignantly in his writing.

Roses are believed to have originated in ancient Persia but their cultivation quickly spread across the Northern Hemisphere, first from China to Europe and finally to North America. Rose enthusiasts throughout time and geography have helped to spread the cultivation and the adoration of this arrestingly lovely flowers to the point that, today, there are more than 20,000 varieties available.

Roses run the gamut of the color spectrum. They come in every color, including the elusive blue and black ones that have dogged rose breeders for ages. Every shade of every color is represented, too, with many rose blossoms sporting multiple colors or shades.

These enchanting plants have been bred to grow straight and tall or trail over slopes and fences. Some roses grow close to the ground while others become bushy. Many rosebushes bloom once in the spring or summer, others bloom again in the fall, and others still bloom from early spring until winter.

Diversity aside, a few rose gardening tips might improve your rose-growing success.

Planting is the first step to consider when compiling a list of rose gardening tips. Folklore tells us to plant flowering plants when the moon is in a waxing phase. Indeed all plants that produce their most desirable growth above ground are said to be best planted during the time the moon is growing into its biggest, most visible, phase.

(In turn, plant carrots, potatoes, and other plants where underground action is most desirable when the moon is waning, or becoming less visible.)